Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) filed paperwork for his presidential candidacy with the Federal Election Commission ahead of a Wednesday night Twitter Spaces conversation with the platform’s CEO Elon Musk, where DeSantis is expected to formally announce his bid.
From The Hill’s Max Greenwood: “In launching a White House bid, the Florida governor is hoping to sell himself to Republican voters as a low-drama, winning substitute for Trump, a one-time political ally who has attacked DeSantis relentlessly in recent months over his presidential aspirations.”
DeSantis faces multiple challenges, including that “much of the GOP’s conservative voter base remains deeply loyal to Trump,” Greenwood noted.
Without being an official candidate, DeSantis has consistently polled second behind former President Trump, with Trump’s margin over DeSantis widening since March, according to FiveThirtyEight’s polling averages.
Still, it’s early. The first GOP debate is set for August. The field could grow even larger. And the candidates have a lot of campaigning ahead of them.
Five other notable candidates are already in the Republican primary: former U.S. ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and conservative radio show host Larry Elder.
Tune into the Twitter audio event beginning at 6 p.m. ET tonight through the “Twitter Spaces” tab on the platform’s mobile app or by joining a link on the desktop version. “Listeners do not need to be logged in to a Twitter account to join,” The Hill’s Julia Mueller wrote.
DeSantis is also scheduled for a Fox News interview with Trey Gowdy at 8 p.m. ET tonight.
