Florida GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis has not jumped into the presidential race yet, but he’s continuing to make moves that forecast an eventual run.
On Thursday DeSantis traveled to battleground Michigan, where he received a standing ovation at a packed GOP fundraiser in Midland, per NBC News’ Selina Guevara. DeSantis repeated one of his signature lines, saying “Florida is where woke goes to die.” He also spoke at Hillsdale College, a conservative Christian school.
DeSantis’ travels have continued as the Florida legislature continues to set the governor up to tout conservative policy wins. The state Senate this week approved a six-week abortion ban, and the measure could be approved as early as next week, per Politico.
The governor’s public travels and policy efforts come as DeSantis’ team is privately planning the governor’s path to the GOP nomination, NBC News’ Henry J. Gomez and Matt Dixon report. The strategy “focuses less on making a quick splash in places like Iowa or New Hampshire and more on outlasting the former president in a battle for Republican convention delegates,” they write.
But DeSantis could face continued opposition from former President Donald Trump and his allies. MAGA Inc., the super PAC backing Trump that recently launched a TV ad criticizing DeSantis, just reserved another $1.3 million on the cable airwaves, per AdImpact, although it’s not clear if this buy will once again target the Florida governor.
In other campaign news…
Bummer for Biden: A new CNN poll had some rough numbers for President Joe Biden, with just one in three Americans saying he deserves to be re-elected, and other low marks on a range of qualities and issues.
Trump court watch: Adult film star Stormy Daniels said she would testify against Trump if the case involving hush money allegedly paid to Daniels goes to trial.
“Why get your hands dirty if you don’t have to?”: NBC News’ Peter Nicholas reports on how Democrats are strategizing a run against Trump amid his legal woes.
Show Me a primary: Missouri GOP Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft announced Thursday that he is running for governor in the Show Me State, where GOP Gov. Mike Parson cannot run for re-election due to term limits.
Another one: Trump picked up another congressional endorsement, with Florida GOP Rep. Byron Donalds backing the former president.
Dem dough: California Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff says he raised $6.5 million in his Senate campaign’s first fundraising quarter. And Colorado GOP Rep. Lauren Boebert’s Democratic challenger Adam Frisch, who nearly defeated Boebert last year, raised $1.7 million in the first fundraising quarter, per The Hill.
New York state of mind: Trump’s recent indictment isn’t moving many Republican voters in New York’s swingy 17th District, the Washington Post reports.
Columbia record?: The New York Times reports on the race to lead South Carolina’s Democratic Party, which could result in the party electing a Black woman as its chair for the first time.
