Conservative entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy has surpassed former Vice President Mike Pence in the 2024 Republican presidential primary, according to an Echelon Insights poll.
He is also catching up to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
On top of the survey, taken from June 26 to June 29, is former President Donald Trump with a commanding lead at 49%. DeSantis, meanwhile, is 33 percentage points behind with 16% of the vote.
DeSantis is just 6 points ahead of Ramaswamy, who are at 16% and 10% respectively. Next up was Pence and former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley — both tied at 5%.
In a head-to-head match-up between Trump and DeSantis, the former president has a solid 28-point lead over DeSantis, 60% to 32%.
The news comes just one month after Ramaswamy tested every member of the Republican primary by asking each to sign a pledge to pardon Trump for all federal charges against him pursued by the Department of Justice.
"This letter ... is my commitment on Jan. 20, 2025 — if I'm elected the next U.S. president — to pardon Donald J. Trump for these offenses in this federal case," Ramaswamy said outside the Miami courthouse where Trump was being arraigned.
"I have challenged — I have demanded — that every other candidate in this race either sign this commitment to pardon on Jan. 20, 2025, or else to explain why they are not," he added.
Ramaswamy has also caught the eye of Trump, receiving his praises in a campaign email sent out earlier this year, Outlook India reported at the time.
"The thing I like about Vivek is that he only has good things to say about President Trump, and all that the Trump administration has so successfully done. This is the reason he is doing so well," Trump explained.
