CPAC Straw Poll Results For Trump's Running Mate Revealed

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem and biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy tied as the favorites to be former President Donald Trump's running mate on the presumed Republican presidential ticket in a straw poll conducted during the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) this weekend, Politico.com reports.

Noem and Ramaswamy both received 15% of the votes among CPAC respondents, followed by former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, a former Democratic presidential candidate in 2020, at 9%; New York Rep. Elise Stefanik and South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott both at 8%.

Last Tuesday (February 20), Trump confirmed his shortlist of potential running mates during a town hall event in Greenville, South Carolina, with FOX News' Laura Ingraham. Ingraham rattled off a list of potential names, which included Noem, Ramaswamy, Gabbard and Scott, as well Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a longtime ally turned political rival during the race for the Republican presidential nomination, and Rep. Byron Donalds.

“They are," Trump responded when asked by Ingraham if the names included were on his shortlist.

“They’re all solid,” Trump added. “And I always say I want people with common sense because there’s so many things happening in this country that don’t make sense.”

Trump said that the "first quality" he was looking for while considering running mates was their ability to be “a good president because if something should happen, you have to have somebody that’s going to be a great president," but acknowledged his belief that primary voters cared more about the name on top of the ticket rather than the running mate.

“The one thing that always surprises me is that the VP choice has absolutely no impact,” Trump said. “It’s whoever the president is, it just seems.”

Trump had previously teased that he'd already decided on his running mate during a previous town hall in Des Moines, Iowa, in January.