TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida’s governor could file for president as early as next week.
Gov. Ron DeSantis’ political operation isn’t commenting on the record, but we do know that the governor’s top supporters will hold a “pre-conference” next week in Miami. The goal is to lay the groundwork for the next steps of the operation, according to those familiar with the thinking.
If supporters want to start fundraising, Federal Electoral Commission paperwork must come first, meaning the paperwork can arrive before Wednesday or Thursday.
DeSantis is poised to run after moving his political operations to a new location in Tallahassee. Spending more than $5,000 to do so means you’ll have to report your intentions before the end of the month.
As the nation waits and wonders, the governor continues to make stops in vital primary states.
He was inside Iowa last weekend and will be in New Hampshire this weekend “to meet with a large group of [state] lawmakers to discuss the freedom plan and how it can be replicated in states like New Hampshire,” an official told us.
It comes after DeSantis recently wrote a book titled “The Courage to Be Free: Florida’s Blueprint for America’s Revival.”
A strong showing in each state is essential if the governor hopes to win the GOP presidential nomination. DeSantis Super PAC never back has already invested heavily in places like Iowa.
“Last Saturday we knocked on 1,000 doors here in Iowa,” said Erin Perrine, director of communications for Never Back Down. “DeSantis beats Biden. Biden beats Trump. Republicans are starting to learn that if they want to win in November 2024, it means supporting Ron DeSantis.”
Former President Donald Trump and his officials have begun to focus on the governor, with critical comments online and via email. Recently, they have enjoyed the loss of two DeSantis-backed candidates in races Kentucky i Jacksonville. Trump said in a statement published at Truth Social “Ron’s magic is gone!”
Trump’s campaign also regularly pointed to the governor’s deficit in early polls. Real clear policy estimates Trump’s lead is now more than 30 points on average.
Sen. Blaise Ingoglia, R-Spring Hill, is among the growing list of state lawmakers supporting DeSantis. He dismisses Trump’s lead, saying it’s too early to promote him.
“The final poll, obviously, is when people voted on Election Day,” Ingoglia said. “So until then, until we have all the candidates announced — because not all the candidates know each other — a lot of these polls have to be taken with a grain of salt.”
If and when the governor sends these FEC documents, he would likely still make a formal public announcement to galvanize supporters and generate publicity. At this point, the details of when and where remain uncertain.
