According to multiple reports, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is expected to officially announce his candidacy for the 2024 U.S. presidential election next week.[0] DeSantis has been hinting at his White House ambitions through speeches, super PAC ads, and visits to key primary states for months.[1] His entry into the race is expected to mark the start of the 2024 election cycle, and it will formalize the quasi-campaign that DeSantis has been waging while building a legislative record he can champion on the national stage.[2]
DeSantis is expected to declare his presidential candidacy by filing his paperwork with the Federal Election Commission (FEC).[3] He is likely to soft-launch his campaign as early as Wednesday, which will coincide with the filing of the paperwork, according to a Republican consultant close to the governor’s political team.[4] DeSantis’ formal announcement is expected to come the following week in his Florida hometown of Dunedin.[4]
DeSantis has consistently polled as former President Donald Trump’s most formidable rival in the 2024 GOP primary. However, his pre-launch period has been riddled with moves that have raised questions about how prepared he is for a slugfest with Trump and other GOP candidates.[5] Some allies and donors have called for him to recalibrate his approach or relent on some of his past positions lest his campaign fizzle before it officially begins.[6]
One of DeSantis’ most controversial positions of late has been his back-and-forth with the Walt Disney Corporation over control of an improvement district.[6] Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has criticized him for using the power of government to punish a private company.[6] Some in his own party have also started to question his strategy about a few of his most high-profile actions as governor.[7]
However, DeSantis remains Trump’s strongest competitor for the GOP nomination in 2024, according to polls. In a recent Yahoo News/YouGov survey, DeSantis polled at 36%, within striking distance of Trump’s 50% in a one-on-one matchup among potential Republican primary voters.[1] When considering the current field, none of the other GOP candidates received a poll result higher than 4%.[1]
DeSantis’ entry into the race is expected to set up a showdown between him and Trump, who has coined the nickname “Ron DeSanctimonious” to refer to his former protege.[2] Trump has attacked DeSantis on a number of policy issues, in addition to the usual personality-based insults he deploys against his enemies.[2] Trump has also taken credit for DeSantis’ political rise after he backed him in his 2018 gubernatorial race.[2]
DeSantis has largely shied away from criticizing Trump so far.[2] However, he gave supporters a preview of his pitch on Thursday, saying that he has a more “credible” chance of beating Joe Biden than Trump and the rest of the Republican field.[8] “You have basically three people at this point that are credible in this whole thing: Biden, Trump and me,” DeSantis said.[8] “And I think of those three, two have a chance to get elected president — Biden and me.[9]
0. “DeSantis graces cover of latest ‘Time’ magazine” WPTV News Channel 5 West Palm, 18 May. 2023, https://www.wptv.com/news/political/gov-ron-desantis-graces-cover-of-latest-edition-of-time-magazine
1. “Is DeSantis DOA against Trump?” Yahoo News, 22 May. 2023, https://news.yahoo.com/is-desantis-doa-against-trump-213154241.html
2. “DeSantis Will Reportedly Run For President Next Week—Here’s What We Know About His Campaign” Forbes, 18 May. 2023, https://www.forbes.com/sites/saradorn/2023/05/18/desantis-will-reportedly-run-for-president-next-week-heres-what-we-know-about-his-campaign/
3. “Reporter mocked after shouting questions at DeSantis, ‘slow-motion’ chasing him: ‘Why are you against Disney?'” Fox News, 23 May. 2023, https://www.foxnews.com/media/reporter-mocked-shouting-questions-desantis-slow-motion-chasing-him-why-are-you-against-disney
4. “DeSantis expected to enter 2024 presidential race next week” CNN, 18 May. 2023, https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/18/politics/desantis-announcement/index.html
5. “Ron DeSantis expands his circle as he prepares his 2024 launch” NBC News, 17 May. 2023, https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/ron-desantis-expands-circle-prepares-2024-launch-rcna84744
6. “DeSantis more likely to ‘double down’ than pivot as he enters presidential race” Miami Herald, 19 May. 2023, https://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/article275568636.html
7. “Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis plans to officially announce presidential run next week” CNBC, 18 May. 2023, https://www.cnbc.com/2023/05/18/desantis-plans-to-officially-announce-presidential-run-next-week.html
8. “Ron DeSantis Apparently Thinks His Right Wing Crusade Is More Popular Than Trump’s” Vanity Fair, 19 May. 2023, https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2023/05/ron-desantis-to-announce-presidential-run
9. “DeSantis stumbles while seeking to stick Trump with loser label” The Hill, 20 May. 2023, https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4012686-desantis-stumbles-while-seeking-to-stick-trump-with-loser-label/
