Republican Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida has reportedly told his confidants that he intends to run for the White House in 2024. This news comes as he makes his first trip this cycle to any of the early voting states in the GOP primary and caucus schedule. Governor DeSantis will be visiting Iowa, which leads off the GOP presidential nominating calendar, and will be joined by Republican Governor Kim Reynolds of Iowa.
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According to sources familiar with his comments, Governor DeSantis described his plans to run for president without adding any caveats that would suggest he is still deciding on whether to launch a campaign. His popularity among conservatives across the country has soared over the past three years due to his forceful pushback against coronavirus pandemic restrictions and his aggressive actions as a culture warrior, going after media, corporations, and teachers’ unions.
Governor DeSantis won an overwhelming 19-point gubernatorial re-election victory in November, and in recent speeches, he has been spotlighting that his policy victories in Florida can serve as a roadmap for the entire nation. Sources in his wider orbit have said any presidential campaign launch would come in the late spring or early summer, after the end of the current legislative session.
The governor’s latest travel itinerary is sparking more speculation about an increasingly probable White House run. After the high-profile visit to Iowa, he heads on Saturday to Nevada, which votes fourth in the GOP presidential nominating calendar. Additionally, sources have told Fox News that stops in New Hampshire and South Carolina, which hold the second and third contests in the GOP presidential nominating calendar, are likely in the coming weeks.
Governor DeSantis’ events in Iowa and Nevada are being organized by “And to the Republic,” a recently-formed public advocacy group that planned the governor’s recent stops in New York City, suburban Philadelphia, and Chicago to showcase his law enforcement support.
