By Nikki Marone ’20
BIPP Survey Research Laboratory Intern
In the past few weeks, numerous Democrats have declared their intent to run for President of the United States in 2020 against incumbent President Donald Trump. However, as the number of players on the left side of the field increases, Donald Trump remains the sole prominent Republican candidate in the 2020 election. Throughout President Trump’s first term, there has been a division within the Republican party; some individuals support Trump vehemently and others disavow him. In a nationally representative survey conducted by YouGov.com, the Bucknell Institute of Public Policy asked individuals whether they hoped another Republican would challenge Donald Trump’s bid for presidency in the 2020 election.
When looked at by party identification, the Bucknell Institute of Public Policy found that 61% of Democrats and 7% of Republicans strongly agreed with the statement that they hoped another Republican candidate would challenge President Trump in 2020. Juxtaposed to these findings, 22% of Democrats and 47% of Republicans strongly disagreed with the statement that they hoped another Republican candidate would challenge President Trump in 2020.
When separated by gender, 43% of men and 57% of women strongly agreed that they want another Republican to run against President Trump in 2020. In contrast, 54% of men and 46% of women strongly disagreed with another Republican challenging President Trump in 2020.
As we move forward in the election cycle, it will be important to notice how attitudes towards President Trump as the sole Republican nominee for 2020 shift. As an incumbent president, with a good economy and no signs of war, President Trump would seem to have the upper hand and be considered a strong candidate for a two-term presidency. However, as seen above, the population can be relatively split on their support for President Trump and if another Republican runs in 2020, it would appear it could be a contentious race within the RNC.