CPAC Reveals the GOP Front Runners Who Have Their Eyes on The White House

By: Adam Beam 3/7/21

Photo Courtesy: Getty Images/Joe Raedle

The Democrats may hold The White House and a majority in Congress, but this hasn’t stopped Republicans from already making their plans to regain control of Washington. This past weekend marked the annual Conservative Political Action Conference in Orlando, and it gave us a possible glimpse at who may be the frontrunners for the GOP in the 2024 Presidential Election.

Naturally, all eyes are on former President Donald Trump, who made his first public appearance since leaving office back in January at the Conference. And it was here where he teased the possibility of running again in 2024. Former President Trump seems like the likeliest candidate to be nominated by the GOP as he still holds a tight grip on the party.

In a poll conducted at the conference about supporting the candidate if he were to run in 2024, Trump won a majority, with 55% voting they would want him to be the candidate, and 68% in another poll saying they specifically want Trump to run again.

While these numbers seem to be conclusive it should be noted that these numbers don’t always reflect the final outcome for a nominee. Punchbowl News Founder, Jake Sherman, tweeted out this list of the former winners in the same polls conducted at past CPAC events, and clearly they did not accurately reflect the party’s decision come election day.

Former President Trump wasn’t the only republican to make an impression at CPAC, as it stands the three other frontrunners who hold a chance at being the GOP’s choice includes Governor of Florida Ron DeSantis, former Governor of South Carolina Niki Haley and former Vice President Mike Pence. However, their odds remain quite low compared to the former 43rd.

Although, it should be noted that while Trump won a majority at the event, and it was clear that he still has supporters, many Republicans have spoken out that this doesn’t mean he is a guaranteed nominee and it doesn’t always reflect the party overall. Former George W. Bush advisor Karl Rove put it best when speaking with Fox News, following the event, saying “For him to only get 55 percent says he is losing strength because he’s not introducing something new. He’s losing strength whether he recognizes it.”

While the GOP has high hopes for the future, we are still two years away from the next midterm election, and just under four years till the next presidential election. And we will have to see how the GOP holds up under the Biden administration.