Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) is already facing growing criticism from a crowded field of possible GOP primary challengers as the Florida governor emerges as an early front-runner for the party’s nomination, even though he has yet to declare a presidential bid.
Former President Donald Trump is the only candidate so far to declare his candidacy in the 2024 presidential election. However, the field is expected to grow far more crowded over the coming months, and some likely candidates are already in campaign mode despite not joining the primary pool.
TRUMP HOLDS 13-POINT LEAD OVER DESANTIS IN HYPOTHETICAL 2024 MATCHUP: POLL
Prospective candidates such as Gov. Kristi Noem (R-SD) and Gov. Chris Sununu (R-NH) have hit out against DeSantis in recent days, criticizing the Florida governor for some of his policy stances.
DeSantis has focused much of his legislative priorities on targeting “woke” policies implemented by schools and businesses. That objective led DeSantis to dismantle the Reedy Creek Improvement District, a special taxing district that allowed Walt Disney World to govern itself autonomously, in retaliation for the company opposing the governor’s Parental Rights in Education bill last year.
“Look, I come from the ‘Live Free or Die’ state, and private businesses can and should act like private businesses without the fear of being punished by people that might disagree with them,” Sununu told Fox News. “I agree with a lot of those issues that Ron brings to the table — I think he’s right — but to necessarily punish private businesses because they don’t agree with a policy or whatever it might be, those types of culture wars pushing their way into the private sector, that’s definitely not, I don’t think, where we want to be as Americans.”
Noem also hit out against DeSantis for his record on abortion, accusing the Florida governor of not doing enough to restrict access to the procedure in the Sunshine State. DeSantis signed a bill last year banning abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy, prompting Noem to criticize him for not implementing a full ban on the procedure.
“Where was Gov. DeSantis? Hiding behind a 15-week ban,” a spokesperson for Noem said in a statement to the National Review. “Does he believe that 14-week-old babies don’t have a right to live?”
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Trump has also repeatedly hit out against DeSantis in recent months, even going so far as to claim his endorsement of DeSantis in 2018 is what elevated him to become Florida’s governor and a Republican celebrity.
Although DeSantis has not indicated whether he’ll seek higher office in 2024, the Florida governor remains a popular choice among GOP voters. He and Trump routinely alternate sitting at the top of polls, with DeSantis occasionally besting the former president — especially in head-to-head contests.
