Former Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker said that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is “probably better” off than he was when he unsuccessfully sought the Republican presidential nomination in 2016.
“I think the DeSantis camp was in a much better position, both in terms of talent on the team and in terms of things he did and said,” Walker told NBC News in an interview. “Clearly even the things he did in his reelect were things that were targeted far beyond Florida voters.”
While DeSantis hasn’t said much about his 2024 ambitions, he’s drawn several comparisons in recent weeks to Walker, a former conservative darling who ran for president in 2016 on a reputation for using the governor’s mansion to pursue a stream of policies and agenda items that endeared him to the GOP base.
But Walker said those comparisons may be premature. For instance, Walker faced a tough reelection battle in 2014 that hobbled him politically heading into his second term as governor. DeSantis, on the other hand, won reelection last year by a staggering 19-point margin — the largest for a Florida gubernatorial candidate in four decades.
Recent polling also shows DeSantis notching nearly a third of the vote in a 2024 Republican primary field. At a similar point in 2015, Walker’s support hovered in the single digits.
Walker isn’t taking sides in the 2024 contest, telling NBC News that it’s “going to be a wide-open race,” and that the calculus for prospective candidates is still difficult.
But he also said that “DeSantis is in a good position,” adding that the Florida governor has a lane running as someone who can match former President Trump’s reputation as a political brawler without being mired in constant controversy.
“DeSantis is in a good position,” Walker said. “Basically, DeSantis’ argument should be that if you want the same kind of toughness, if you want the same kind of pushback without the sharp edges, he’s your guy.”