![]() Laurel Lee, R-Fla., who is so far DeSantis' only endorser from Florida in Congress, said the governor has "led the way on conservative policy, economic growth and fighting for Florida families," and that once he officially runs for president, "his record and message will resonate with Republican primary voters across the country." It’s early, DeSantis-backers argue, with few voters paying attention, and even fewer caring about endorsements from sometimes obscure members of Congress. Supporters are also brushing off DeSantis’ huge early endorsement lead, which includes the former president racking up 11 endorsements from the Florida legislative delegation and more than 50 congressional endorsements overall. ![]() “There are a few holdouts or converts, but you can safely say lack of money won’t be a DeSantis concern.” “I think you can say for the most part they have alleviated concerns and it’s full steam ahead,” said a Republican consultant. On top of that, a state-level political committee known as Friends of Ron DeSantis has more than $85 million in the bank, which will likely be transferred to an outside super PAC in the coming weeks.ĭeSantis’ support of the six-week abortion ban, and his culture war-focus more broadly, did prompt some GOP rainmakers to say they were reconsidering supporting DeSantis financially, but his team is confident they have generally stopped the bleeding with current and potential donors. It has raised tens of millions of dollars to encourage DeSantis to get in the race, but has not yet had to report publicly, so it’s unclear exactly how much the group has raised. “The floor has fallen out from under Ron DeSantis’ shadow campaign, his poll numbers have plummeted further with every passing week, donors are jumping ship every day, and his political committee is burning through cash like a thief with a stolen credit card.”ĭeSantis has not yet launched a presidential campaign, but a super PAC called Never Back Down has so far served as attack dog for him and run ads hyping his potential run. “What momentum?” said Taylor Budowich, who runs the pro-Trump super PAC MAGA, Inc. But after Trump formally announced he was again running for the White House, he began regularly going after DeSantis, whom he had previously endorsed, and opened up a significant double-digit lead in most early polling. Through most of 2022, DeSantis ran neck-and-neck with the former president in public polling. Still, as DeSantis prepares to take a victory lap, there is little doubt he has work to do if he hopes to close the gap with Trump. A near daily dose of DeSantis back in his element, supporters hope, will help him regain his footing. A Republican Legislature that greets DeSantis with equal parts support and fear handed him huge wins in Tallahassee that will now turn into a high-profile victory lap across Florida in the weeks leading up to the expected launch. Those attacks have tarnished DeSantis’ once untouchable political reputation with conservatives and arguably put him in the weakest position he has been in since taking office, just weeks before what most expect will be an early June presidential launch.īut his supporters predict the script is about to flip. Republican supermajorities in both the Florida House and Senate handed the Florida governor a huge slate of culture-war focused victories that are the type of policies that helped propel DeSantis through the Republican ecosystem and onto the national stage.įor much of that rise, however, there was a stark difference: He was not facing direct attacks from Trump, the clear early 2024 front-runner for the Republican nomination and de facto head of the Republican Party.
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