Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis to formally enter US presidential election race next week

Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis will officially enter the 2024 US presidential race next week, media reports said citing sources familiar with the decision. It is highly anticipated that DeSantis will file paperwork declaring his candidacy on May 25, which would also coincide with a donor meeting in Miami.

The source familiar with the May 25 donor meeting confirmed that the invitation for the event states donors would be put to “work,” a clear indication to raise money for DeSantis’ election campaign. If sources are to be believed, DeSantis will have a more formal launch in the week of May 29.

Trump v/s DeSantis

DeSantis’ rising profile among Republicans and fundraising skills makes him one of the biggest threats to Trump, who in recent weeks has increased political attacks on the Florida governor on issues ranging from Ukraine to Florida’s economic record as well as personal attacks on DeSantis’ social skills and his dealings with state legislators.

These political attacks on DeSantis by Trump have resulted in a hit on DeSantis’ political standing in national polls. However, DeSantis and his advisers had hoped to use the legislature’s session as a facilitator to a campaign announcement and have successfully managed just that.

DeSantis’ insistence on staying out of the political race until the Florida legislature completed its spring session earlier this month had upset some high-profile Republican donors, who wanted him to jump in the race sooner rather than later to rebut Trump.

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His entry to the US presidential race will not only make him Trump’s biggest rival for the Republican nomination, but will also shake things up in a competition which has largely been one-sided so far. However, if Reuters/Ipsos polls are to be believed, former president Donald Trump maintains commanding lead in the 2024 Republican outreach and an undeniable hold in the Republican Party.

DeSantis’ growing profile

Several Republican lawmakers were able to deliver a horde of victories to DeSantis in the recent few months by expanding the state’s school voucher programme, prohibiting the use of public money in sustainable investing efforts, scrapping diversity programmes at public universities, allowing for the permit-less carry of concealed weapons and the most significant — ban on all abortions in the state.

DeSantis’ new political action committee, Never Back Down, aimed at raising unlimited funds, has been hiring staff in early voting states and running TV ads championing DeSantis and knocking Trump.

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