TAMPA, Fla. – Ron DeSantis stormed to victory Tuesday night and earned a second term as Florida governor, but many are already speculating if his mind is on the White House.
DeSantis was back in his role as head of state on Wednesday facing a serious storm, but he could not quell the questions on the morning after he emerged as the leader of a party that swept the state regarding whether he will run for president in 2024.
Wednesday morning, a Donald Trump support organization established called Should Trump Run For President, though Trump himself has telegraphed that announced is planned for next week.
DeSantis did not answer gubernatorial challenger Charlie Crist, nor anyone else asking, nor will he for now, on what his plans are in 2024.
His national fund raising and profile-raising may be part of long term strategy, as were his redistricting maps that recalculated Tuesday’s balance of voter power.
Answers will come more easily to what happens if he runs, as aome financing rules would change. The governor’s political action committee can’t spend on a presidential candidacy.
But the Republican Party of Florida can, and that DeSantis PAC has given the party tens of millions of dollars this year.
Also, will he have to resign to run? Yes, he will.
That’s in Chapter 99 of the state statutes for “any officer who qualifies for public office.”
But even as a declared candidate, the governor can’t technically qualify to run in a presidential election until and if the party officially nominates him at the convention, which is just months before the 2024 Election.