President Donald Trump appears to have a clear path to victory in the Iowa caucuses. But Iowa Republicans don’t necessarily want it to be easy for him.
In a new Des Moines Register/CNN/Mediacom poll of Iowa Republicans, 81% of them said that they have a favorable view of the president. Two-thirds of registered Republicans in the poll said that they would definitely vote to reelect Trump in a presidential election, if it were held today. Just 10% of those polled said that they would look for another candidate.
At first blush, that might all sound good for the President. However, 63% of Iowa Republicans also said that they would be fine with others challenging him in the Iowa caucuses, suggesting there might be a path ahead for Republicans hoping to face off with Trump in primary elections across the country. The caucuses are scheduled for February 3, 2020.
If Trump were challenged in Iowa, Republicans there would like to see many of the same faces they saw two years ago during the 2016 election. According to the poll, 68% of registered Republicans view Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) favorably. He’s followed by Senator-elect Mitt Romney (R-Utah) and Senator Marco Rubio (R-Fla.). Cruz won the Iowa caucuses in 2016.
The election is a little less than two years away, but presidential campaigns begin sooner than ever nowadays. And if the Iowa Republican poll is any indication, there might be some hope for Republicans hoping to unseat the current president in his reelection bid.