EXCLUSIVE — A dozen state legislators have endorsed Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) for president on Friday following his performance at the Republican National Committee‘s third primary debate on Wednesday night.
With the new endorsements, DeSantis’s campaign now boasts that more than 330 state-level candidates are backing his 2024 bid, the most of the entire GOP field. The Florida governor’s recent supporters are spread across nine states, including Tennessee, Maine, Kansas, Montana, Massachusetts, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Minnesota.
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Those who issued new endorsements for DeSantis are Tennessee state Sen. Adam Lowe; Tennessee state Rep. and Republican Caucus Chair Ryan Williams; Maine state Sen. Brad Farrin; Kansas state Rep. Brett Fairchild; Montana state Sen. Daniel Zolnikov; Massachusetts state Senator-elect Peter Durant; Indiana state Reps. Robert Heaton, Shane Lindauer, and Chris Jeter; Pennsylvania state Sen. Greg Rothman; Ohio state Rep. Adam Mathews; and Minnesota state Rep. Elliott Engen.
“Governor Ron DeSantis is the future of the Republican Party,” Engen, of Minnesota, said in a statement. “As a state representative in a purple state, I know Governor DeSantis will provide the leadership and support our party needs to win across America without sacrificing bold, conservative policy.”
“With the world on fire, America needs a serious leader for a serious time,” added Zolnikov, of Montana. “Only Ron DeSantis has shown the courage, steadfastness, and ability to govern that our nation deserves.”
In a subtle dig at former President Donald Trump, Massachusetts’s Durant claimed DeSantis will “deliver” on GOP priorities if elected president. “For the last decade, the Republican Party has lost too much at too great a cost for everyday Americans,” said Durant. “I’m proud to have won an upset victory for the state Senate, and proud to stand with Governor Ron DeSantis because I know he will continue to deliver victories for conservative principles.”
The endorsements come after the third GOP debate held in Miami, Florida, this week, where DeSantis gave a solid performance against former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley as Trump held a competing rally in Hialeah, Florida, roughly 30 minutes from the debate. The Florida governor criticized Trump for skipping the debate and claimed he had failed to deliver on conservative priorities. Trump, in turn, bragged about his polling lead over DeSantis and Haley during his rally.
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DeSantis has made Iowa the cornerstone of his presidential campaign pledging to visit all 99 counties in the Hawkeye State before the crucial Jan. 15 caucuses, which will establish which candidate has momentum and viability moving forward. His campaign received a boost this week when the highly influential Gov. Kim Reynolds (R-IA) endorsed him for president, in an implicit rebuke of Trump.
Never Back Down, the super PAC supporting DeSantis’s campaign, capitalized on recent Republican losses during Tuesday night’s off-year elections. The PAC launched a new ad titled “There’s Only One,” that claimed DeSantis is the only candidate with a record of winning who can also win next year’s presidential elections.
