US Elections 2024: Vivek Ramaswamy and Kristi Noem top straw poll on Donald Trump’s running mate

As Donald Trump seems to be prone to safe a 3rd presidential nomination from the Republican Party, a straw poll at a distinguished gathering of conservative activists has proven that Indian-origin biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem have been tied for the top option to be Trump’s running mate, in keeping with media experiences.

The straw poll on the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), introduced on the finish of the four-day gathering exterior Washington on Saturday, mentioned that Ramaswamy and Noem every garnered 15 per cent of the polled votes, reported The New York Times.

Ramaswamy, 38, who was born in Cincinnati to Indian immigrant mother and father, ran for the Republican presidential nomination this 12 months however dropped out of the race after ending fourth in January’s Iowa caucuses. He then withdrew from the race and backed Trump.

Noem, 52, turned the primary lady governor of South Dakota when she was elected in 2018, endorsed by Trump. During the COVID pandemic, she rose to nationwide prominence over her refusal to concern statewide mandates for vaccinations and carrying face masks.

This was the primary time in years {that a} query about whom Republicans ought to choose for vice-president had overshadowed one concerning the presidential nominee within the survey of attendees, mentioned the NYT report.

Trump, 77, gained the presidential poll as anticipated with a landslide over Nikki Haley, 52, beating her 94 per cent to five per cent. The final time Trump was not the top selection for the White House amongst CPAC attendees was in 2016, when Texas Senator Ted Cruz completed first, the report mentioned.

Former Indian-origin Representative Tulsi Gabbard, from Hawaii, who ran for president as a Democrat in 2020 however has since left the social gathering to grow to be an unbiased, completed third as the selection of running mate, with 9 per cent of the votes.

She was adopted by Representative Elise Stefanik of New York and Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina with 8 per cent votes every.

Senator JD Vance of Ohio, whom CPAC attendees selected as their favorite senator, acquired 2 per cent of the votes, behind former Fox News anchor Tucker Carlson and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the political scion of a Democratic household who was now running for president as an unbiased, the report mentioned.

The report mentioned that Trump’s third presidential marketing campaign could be his first with out former vice-president Mike Pence — the 2 had parted methods politically after Pence refused to assist Trump overturn the 2020 election gained by Joe Biden, a Democrat.

Trump on Sunday secured a convincing win over his Indian-American rival Haley in South Carolina within the Republican main. He has now gained each contest that counted for Republican delegates, including to his earlier wins in Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, and the US Virgin Islands.