Vice President Kamala Harris would defeat Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in a hypothetical 2024 presidential match-up, according to a new poll, but the race would be extremely close.
A poll from the Harvard University Center for American Political Studies (CAPS) has found that Harris enjoys 39 support to the Republican governor's 37 percent in a theoretical contest.
However, those numbers are very tight and the Harris poll found that a significant 23 percent of respondents were undecided between DeSantis and Harris.
The poll was conducted from June 28 to 29 among 1,308 registered voters.
The next presidential election cycle won't actually begin until the primaries in early 2024 but there has been significant speculation that President Biden will not seek a second term due to his age.
Biden will be 81 in 2024, but the White House has maintained that it is his intention to run again, while the vice president is seen by many as Biden's natural successor should he decide to step aside.
The poll found that 71 percent of respondents said Biden should not run again, with 45 percent of those saying he's a "bad president," 30 percent citing his age and 26 percent saying it was time for a change.
The survey had good news for Harris in terms of the 2024 Democratic primaries, however. She placed second behind Biden among Democratic voters, garnering 18 percent support to the president's 30 percent.
But when Biden was excluded, Harris was the clear leader with 25 percent support. Interestingly, Harris was followed by former Secretary of State and 2016 Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton with 15 percent.
Clinton has previously said she will not make a return to active political campaigns but speculation about her future has continued.
It was a similar picture among Republican voters, with former President Donald Trump the clear favorite in the GOP primary race with 56 percent support, with DeSantis a distant second at 16 percent.
However, with Trump excluded from consideration, the Florida governor was the most popular choice. DeSantis had 36 percent support among GOP voters compared to 17 percent support for former Vice President Mike Pence.
Both DeSantis and Pence have been talked about as potential presidential candidates but Trump has repeatedly hinted that he will launch another White House bid in 2024.
The poll showed Trump defeating both Biden and Harris in hypothetical 2024 contests. Trump had 43 percent support to Biden's 40 percent, with 17 percent undecided.
In a theoretical race against Harris, Trump performed even better, garnering 45 percent to Harris' 39 percent with 16 percent of respondents undecided.
None of the possible 2024 candidates have yet announced presidential campaigns and DeSantis is currently in a race to win reelection as governor of Florida. He has repeatedly said that is his current focus.
Nonetheless, Biden's age and the fact he has had a persistently low approval rating will continue to be a source of speculation until he makes a formal announcement, which is likely more than a year away.
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