© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. President Donald Trump attends a rally in Reno, Nevada, U.S. December 17, 2023. REUTERS/Carlos Barria/ FILE PHOTO
By Gram Slattery and Nathan Layne
WEST PALM BEACH, Florida (Reuters) – Former President Donald Trump’s marketing campaign workforce tasks he may formally clinch the Republican presidential nomination by March 19, given his lead in polls within the early voting states, a senior marketing campaign official mentioned on Monday.
The workforce believes Trump is on monitor to win 1,478 delegates by then, primarily based on a mixture of public and inner polls, mentioned the official, who requested anonymity to debate the marketing campaign.
That may be greater than sufficient delegates wanted to win a majority of the full of two,429 delegates who will choose a nominee on the Republican Nationwide Conference, set for July in Milwaukee.
Over the past aggressive Republican presidential major, in 2016, Trump didn’t formally win the variety of delegates wanted to clinch the nomination till late Might.
Trump holds a commanding lead within the Republican major forward of the 2024 White Home race. A Reuters/Ipsos opinion ballot accomplished final week confirmed 61% of self-identified Republicans mentioned they’d vote for the previous president within the major.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, his closest rivals, have been every backed by 11% of self-identified Republicans.
Each Haley and DeSantis have carried out considerably higher in some state-level polls, although neither has come near eclipsing Trump.
Neither the DeSantis nor Haley campaigns instantly responded to a request for remark, although each have mentioned they’re within the race for the lengthy haul and have shot at beating Trump as the sphere consolidates.
Iowa kicks off the nominating course of on Jan. 15, with New Hampshire’s major eight days later. Trump’s marketing campaign workforce tasks he’ll win 19 of Iowa’s 40 obtainable delegates, the official mentioned.
Florida, the house base of each Trump and DeSantis, is among the many states which have their major election on March 19.
By the top of that day, 36 states and territories could have had their major contest, together with 16 on March 5, which is called “Super Tuesday”.
The Trump marketing campaign official mentioned the projection was an estimate, notably since there was no dependable polling but in a number of the states and territories in play.
The official added that, in a bullish situation, the Trump marketing campaign believes it may mathematically wrap up the nomination as early as March 12, when Republican voters in Washington state, Georgia and a slew of different states will go to the polls.
