
Former President Trump speaks during the Conservative Political Action Conference in Dallas. Photo: Dylan Hollingsworth/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Former President Trump remains the favorite to be the 2024 Republican presidential nominee among the most active conservatives.
Driving the news: Trump got 69% of the vote in a straw poll conducted at the weekend's Conservative Political Action Conference in Dallas, affirming the ex-president's continuing popularity since he left the White House.
The big picture: Trump said Republicans should campaign on strengthening the border, reducing crime and stopping inflation if they want to win the midterm elections and take back control of Congress.
- Republicans have made recent gains in South Texas— notably the 34th congressional district, where Mayra Flores flipped the Democratic stronghold in a June special election and became the first Mexican-born woman in Congress.
What they're saying: Flores said during Dallas' event that Mexican-Americans in southern Texas no longer feel safe crossing the border to visit their families because criminal organizations have taken over.
- "It has only gotten worse since [President] Biden was elected," Flores said during a panel discussion.
Flashback: Trump also led during a February straw poll at Orlando's CPAC with 59% of the vote.
- His lead increased this time compared to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who was picked by 24% of those polled in Dallas.
The intrigue: Many presidential hopefuls, including Sen. Ted Cruz, are waiting to see what Trump does before deciding whether they will run in 2024.
- Cruz was the third most popular among CPAC attendees with just 2% of the votes in the straw poll.
Of note: The conference also featured a fake jail cell with a Jan. 6 rioter inside, pretending to cry.

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