TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis has plenty of advantages ahead of his November reelection. More than $100 million in the bank. A growing statewide Republican voter advantage. Massive popularity with the conservative base.
What DeSantis doesn’t need and isn’t requesting: former President Donald Trump’s endorsement.
“[DeSantis is] a Cat 5 hurricane in Florida politics — and in a good way if you are a Republican,” said Anthony Pedicini, a veteran GOP consultant in Florida. “He is a force of nature.”
Trump has used his endorsement as a cudgel against Republicans who voted to impeach him after the Jan. 6 riot in the Capitol, including Rep. Tom Rice (R-S.C.), who lost his primary to Trump-backed state Rep. Russell Fry. While Trump’s endorsement has the power to make or break a candidate, this election cycle has seen his influence waning in some races.
In Georgia, for example, the candidates who supported the former president’s attempts to overturn the election results and won his endorsement failed to beat Republican incumbents, including Gov. Brian Kemp and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger.
An endorsement from Trump, however, would not likely change DeSantis’ frontrunner status in Florida among his Florida supporters. Polls have consistently shown him leading his Democratic rivals. In straw polls in Wisconsin, Nevada and the annual Western Conservative Summit survey, DeSantis has even topped Trump.
DeSantis’ decision to forgo a Trump endorsement is a stark contrast from four years ago. In 2018, DeSantis was seen as a long shot challenger, running against then-Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam. Putnam had backing from the Republican establishment and a money advantage. But DeSantis shook the foundations of the race when he picked up a crucial endorsement from Trump ahead of the primary. Desantis even ran a notable television ad that depicted him reading the former president’s book “The Art of the Deal” to one of his kids.
The strategy worked and DeSantis crushed Putnam as Trump supporters in Florida flocked to his side. Trump also often takes credit for Desantis’ win, once saying, “he ran, I endorsed him, his numbers went through the roof.”
