Global Courant 2023-05-09 23:12:09
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on Tuesday took a big step toward announcing a potential presidential run in 2024, severing his relationship with a major state-level political committee with tens of millions in his treasury.
The move, first reported by Politico, is a necessary step toward announcing a 2024 presidential campaign. The committee, Friends of Ron DeSantis, now states on its website that it is affiliated with state senator Blaise Ingoglia, in rather than to DeSantis himself.
“Friends of Ron DeSantis is a statewide political committee dedicated to advancing the Freedom Agenda and keeping Florida free,” the committee’s website states.
Neither a Ron DeSantis spokesperson nor Ingoglia’s office responded to requests for comment from Fox News Digital.
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Florida Governor Ron DeSantis seems to have taken a big step toward a presidential candidate. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)
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Friends of Ron DeSantis currently have $86 million in the bank, Fox News has confirmed. The new affiliate, Ingoglia, is a close ally of the governor who supported important parts of his agenda.
DeSantis stated Friday that he would decide “relatively soon” whether to launch a presidential campaign.
The popular Florida governor is widely regarded as former President Donald Trump’s most credible rival, though Trump consistently beats him in the primary.
DeSantis, who won a landslide 19-point gubernatorial re-election victory last fall, said at a news conference that he was “very confident going into November ’22, we were going to do really well, but you really had to shut up or shut up on that.”
“What happens in the future? We’ll come back to that relatively soon. You either have to say that or keep your mouth shut. So we’ll see,” he added.
Former President Donald Trump may face his toughest Republican challenger in Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)
Florida lawmakers swung into action in late April to clear the way for a possible DeSantis announcement, amending the state law to allow him to announce a presidential campaign without first stepping down as governor.
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If he announces, DeSantis will join a field that includes Trump, former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley, former Arkansas governor Asa Hutchinson and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy.
Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.
Anders Hagstrom is a reporter at Fox News Digital covering national politics and major news events. Send tips to Anders.Hagstrom@Fox.com, or on Twitter: @Hagstrom_Anders.
