DeSantis Privately Discloses He Has Made a Decision on Running in 2024 - Report
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has privately disclosed his intentions to run for president in 2024, two sources close to the governor told The Washington Post.
DeSantis’ private comments suggest he no longer is in the deciding phase and likely will make an announcement once Florida’s legislative session concludes in May, according to the Post.
The launch Thursday of Never Back Down, a political action committee designed to boost DeSantis as the GOP nominee, serves as another indicator of a possible campaign.
“The governor’s taking actions to prepare for a run and is heavily leaning in that direction now,” a source close to DeSantis told the Daily Caller News Foundation when asked to confirm the comments reported by the Post.
Ken Cuccinelli, who served as the acting deputy secretary of Homeland Security in the Trump administration, started the Never Back Down PAC to encourage a DeSantis run for the Republican nomination in 2024.
Today I’m launching Never Back Down PAC @Nvrbackdown24 to encourage @GovRonDeSantis to run for President in 2024
The energy is real. Grassroots conservatives see that Governor DeSantis is a proven leader who can win in 2024. #NeverBackDownhttps://t.co/1VKNweKgq5 pic.twitter.com/OaKq1XJrKr
— Ken Cuccinelli (@KenCuccinelli) March 9, 2023
“The energy is there, grassroots conservatives see the Governor as a leader and a fighter with a winning conservative track record who will lead the Republican Party to victory in 2024. Based on those conversations, I am most confident that we will build an unmatched grassroots political army for Governor DeSantis to help carry him to the White House,” Cuccinelli said in a statement.
The PAC is expected to be an outside funding resource for a likely DeSantis campaign and serves as another indicator of the governor’s presidential aspirations, the Post reported.
The organization of the PAC specifies that any funds it raises can be transferred to DeSantis’ campaign if and when he runs.
Since DeSantis ended up with over $70 million in funds after his re-election, his advisers are seeking ways to put it toward his expected presidential campaign, according to the Post.
The governor’s private comments, combined with the launch of the PAC, indicates the progress that DeSantis’ team has made in forming a presidential campaign despite the lack of an announcement, the Post reported.
DeSantis launched his new book, “The Courage to Be Free,” on Feb. 28 and has been traveling the country to tout its success.
This week, he is visiting key early electoral states back-to-back – Iowa on Friday and Nevada on Saturday.
The Iowa caucuses are less than a year away.
While the governor has yet to announce his presidential intentions, he continues to poll at the top with former President Donald Trump.
DeSantis polled 25 percentage points ahead of Trump in a Florida state poll but trails the former president nationally.
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