South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy were the top picks for president in a straw poll conducted by the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Washington on Feb. 24.
Conference attendees were asked to sound off on who should serve as former President Donald Trump’s running mate on the Republican ticket. The extensive list of contenders featured a host of prominent Republicans and even a couple of independents.
Ms. Noem and Mr. Ramaswamy each raked in 15 percent of the vote.
Other notables on the list included Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.), Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), and independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
But one candidate in particular stood out for her surprising popularity: 2020 presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard.
Ms. Gabbard came in third place with 9 percent of the vote. A former Democrat, she walked away from the party in 2022, stating that it was under the total control of “a cabal of elitist warmongers.” Since then, as an Independent, she has shocked the nation with her rightward shift, from joining Arizona Republican Kari Lake on the campaign trail to defending President Trump at CPAC on Feb. 23.
“Her speech made me think about her differently—and I mean in a good way,” Washington native Darren Moten told The Epoch Times.
Mr. Moten stressed that he would need to know more about Ms. Gabbard’s stance on specific issues before he could back her as vice president. However, he also acknowledged that her presence on the ticket could expand President Trump’s reach.
And Mr. Moten was not the only attendee who experienced a change of heart with Ms. Gabbard.
John Leisenring of Arlington, Virginia, said he’d originally been leaning toward South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem and Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.). But after watching Ms. Gabbard’s CPAC speech, he said he was impressed by her “statesmanlike quality.”
Another notable result from the poll was where South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley finished. Though she is still holding out hope for her presidential campaign, CPAC attendees seemed less enthusiastic about her appearance on the GOP ticket in any form. With just 2 percent of the vote, she tied for last place with Mr. Vance.
From The Epoch Times
