Top Florida lawmakers endorse DeSantis for president in 2024
Ryan King
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Two leading Florida lawmakers preemptively threw their weight behind Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) for president.
Republican House Speaker Paul Renner and Senate President Kathleen Passidomo commended DeSantis’s track record in the Sunshine State and argued he has laid out a solid blueprint for the nation writ large.
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“There is no greater vision for the future of our country than the ‘Florida Blueprint’ Governor DeSantis spearheaded over the last several years. Under his leadership, the Free State of Florida became a beacon of liberty and opportunity like never before,” Passidomo wrote in a tweet. “Governor DeSantis is exactly the kind of leader we need for our country, and I look forward to supporting him for President.”
https://twitter.com/Kathleen4SWFL/status/1658484232124248065?s=20
Passidomo and Renner have emerged as key allies to DeSantis, who has racked up a bevy of policy victories in the state legislature in recent weeks. The Republican legislature recently tweaked the state’s “resign to run” law and passed reforms to shield some of his travel records, clearing key hurdles for a presidential run.
“Gov. DeSantis has a proven record of delivering on the pro-family, pro-economic ideals that not only will keep Florida free but will be of critical importance in a 2024 presidential election. As Gov. DeSantis makes his final decision to run for higher office, it would be my honor to endorse his candidacy for President of the United States,” Renner said in a statement.
The governor’s main GOP rival, should he enter the fray, would be former President Donald Trump, who is currently running ahead on the endorsement front, boasting support from close to a dozen sitting members of Congress from the Florida delegation.
So far, DeSantis is backed by Rep. Laurel Lee (R-FL) and at least three other members of Congress, but his allies have been rolling out a slate of key local endorsements over recent weeks, including 37 Iowa endorsements ahead of his visit over the weekend and 51 New Hampshire endorsements unveiled Tuesday.
Recently, Trump’s team stumbled into controversy for touting endorsements from multiple Iowa politicos who described themselves as undecided, Axios reported. At least four New Hampshire lawmakers who were listed as endorsing Trump are now backing DeSantis.
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DeSantis has consistently polled as the second most popular GOP 2024 hopeful after Trump.
The governor is expected to make his 2024 intentions known soon now that the state legislature has wrapped up its business. Next week, he is expected to convene over 100 donors and other allies for a briefing, according to multiple reports.