The Western Conservative Summit has been held in Colorado since 2010. The event is organized by the Centennial Institute at Colorado Christian University, which is located in Lakewood, immediately west of Denver. Summit organizers conduct a straw poll at the event to gauge attendees’ preferences for who should be the next presidential candidate.
This year, DeSantis was the frontrunner, with the backing of 71.01 percent of respondents. Trump came in close behind in second place with the support of 67.68 percent. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas was in third place (28.73 percent) and Ben Carson, who served as Trump’s Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, came in fourth (24.15 percent).
Because voters were allowed to make more than one choice, through the approval voting method, the percentages of the poll added up to more than 100 percent. Poll conductor Frank Attwood told Colorado Politics last year that the decision to use the approval voting method “minimizes spoilers and sabotage and gives viability and visibility to minor candidates.”
The results of the 2022 summit straw poll were similar to those of 2021, although support for both Trump and DeSantis dipped slightly.
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