Analysis-DeSantis' dream of a two-horse race on hold as others shine at Republican debate

FILE PHOTO: Republican presidential candidate and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis speaks at the first Republican candidates' debate of the 2024 U.S. presidential campaign in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S. August 23, 2023. REUTERS/Brian Snyder/File Photo

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Florida Governor Ron DeSantis emerged from the first Republican presidential debate having retained his position as Donald Trump's top rival, but the absence of a game-changing moment for him means other contenders now see more of a chance to dislodge him from his vulnerable No. 2 spot.

The governor's team had gone into the debate in Milwaukee hoping to draw a line under a summer slide in the polls and begin consolidating his position as the obvious alternative to former President Donald Trump, who holds a nearly 40-point lead in most polls.