DeSantis supporters to boost governor at New Hampshire GOP meeting
Cami Mondeaux
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A super PAC backing Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) as the GOP presidential nominee in 2024 is planning to boost the Florida governor during the New Hampshire Republican Party’s annual meeting this weekend, presenting an alternative to former President Donald Trump, who will also be in attendance.
Ron to the Rescue, the only major super PAC actively pushing for DeSantis’s candidacy, is planning to attend the meeting on Saturday to gather signatures and boost the Florida Republican’s standing in the crucial primary state. The efforts come as the New Hampshire GOP is set to meet over the weekend, during which Trump is slated to give the keynote address.
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“This is what I would call our opening salvo in New Hampshire,” John Thomas, who founded Ron to the Rescue, told the Hill. “This is the first time that members of the party have had the opportunity to engage with anybody related to DeSantis for president.”
During the annual meeting, Ron to the Rescue staffers plan to meet with New Hampshire Republicans and unveil endorsements DeSantis has garnered from state officials. The group is also expected to hand out DeSantis merchandise, as well as recruit volunteers to work as campaign staffers in the Granite State.
Members of the super PAC have been planning to attend the meeting for nearly two months, but their presence will take on a new level of intrigue with the backdrop of Trump’s presence, Thomas said.
“It definitely will change the pulse of the room more than what we thought it was going to be before,” he said. “At some point, we were going to end up in the same room as Trump. I guess better now than never.”
Trump is slated to give the keynote address around 10 a.m. on Saturday before traveling to South Carolina, where he’ll be met by Gov. Henry McMaster and Sen. Lindsey Graham to reveal his campaign leadership team in the Palmetto State.
The dual events mark the first time Trump has campaigned since announcing his third White House bid in mid-November, signaling the former president is seeking to pick up steam as other Republicans mull a possible challenge.
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DeSantis, who was just sworn into his second term as governor on Jan. 3, has not yet indicated whether he’ll seek a White House bid. However, the Florida governor has emerged as an early favorite to offer an alternative to Trump.
Recent polling gives Trump an early formidable lead among his challengers despite questions about his continued influence over the GOP and the threat of several criminal investigations. However, it may still be too early to tell, as Trump is the only Republican so far to announce a 2024 campaign more than a year before primaries are set to get underway.