Club for Growth endorses DeSantis reelection bid

The Club for Growth, the conservative anti-tax group, is endorsing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’s (R) reelection bid, lending its support in one of the country’s marquee gubernatorial races next year.

The Club for Growth PAC said Thursday in a statement obtained exclusively by The Hill that it is reengaging in gubernatorial races for the first time in 15 years and it is supporting DeSantis in part over his response to the coronavirus pandemic. 

“Ron DeSantis has done an outstanding job as Governor of the Free State of Florida. Amidst the COVID pandemic, Governor DeSantis has proven that he is a constitutional conservative who is unafraid to stand up to liberals across America to implement data driven policies to protect jobs and economic growth in Florida,” said Club for Growth PAC President David McIntosh.

“DeSantis has been a true champion for safely reopening Florida’s economy, advancing parental choice in education, deregulating the economy, and improving Florida’s economic health,” he added. “We fully support his reelection.”

DeSantis is expected to face an array of Democratic challengers heading into his reelection next year, though he has solidified the support of conservatives in the state. While Florida has suffered nearly 36,000 deaths, the governor garnered praise for refusing to shut down his state. A survey from Mason-Dixon Polling & Strategy released in March found him with a 53 percent approval rating, up from his 45 percent approval rating in July.

Beyond 2022, the Club’s endorsement could bolster DeSantis’s conservative bona fides should he decide to run for president in 2024.

If former President Trump does not run for a third time, DeSantis is viewed as one of several Republicans who could line up for a shot at the White House in three years, and past support from the anti-tax group could burnish his credentials both among fiscal conservatives and supporters of Trump, who has aligned closely with the Club for Growth in the past.