CBS News reported over the weekend that according to sources, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is expected to announce his run for president on Wednesday.
The sources told CBS News that DeSantis will file papers with the FEC officially establishing his candidacy as donors and fundraisers meet in Miami to receive briefings on the campaign strategy. A more formal campaign announcement, likely in the governor’s hometown of Dunedin, is expected to be held later in the month.
According to one senior campaign official, there has been “unprecedented interest and support” for a DeSantis candidacy.
In recent weeks, DeSantis has received significant numbers of endorsements from state legislators in Iowa, New Hampshire, and his home state of Florida. Additionally, Fox News reported on Monday that a group of more than 100 former Trump administration officials endorsed DeSantis in 2024.
The group, known as “The Eight-Year Alliance,” calls DeSantis a “proven winner” with a track record of policy accomplishments who would be a viable contender to serve two terms in the White House.
The Eight-Year Alliance is endorsing DeSantis since Donald Trump would immediately become a lame-duck president if he were to win the election.
On Monday, DeSantis’ political operation moved into a new office in Tallahassee. The move out of the state GOP headquarters cost more than $5,000, triggering a federal campaign law that will require DeSantis to officially register as a candidate within 15 days.
When asked on Monday if he would be announcing within the allotted time frame, the governor told reporters that he has a couple of things left on the legislative agenda, including the state budget.
When asked by The Hill to respond to the reports that Governor DeSantis is poised to jump into the 2024 race, Republican candidate Nikki Haley welcomed him to the race, adding “We’ve been waiting.”
