Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday took a huge step toward declaring his candidacy for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination by severing ties with a major state-level political committee.
According to Politico, DeSantis renamed his political committee to "Friends of Ron DeSantis," the most concrete sign he will soon launch his candidacy. DeSantis filed a notice with the state Friday indicating he was no longer associated with the committee and would no longer be raising money directly or indirectly for the organization.
The committee's website was changed Tuesday morning to say it is now associated with Republican ally and state Sen. Blaise Ingoglia, R-Spring Hill, and no longer with DeSantis. Ingoglia is the official chair of the organization following a filing Tuesday.
DeSantis cannot use money raised by Friends of Ron DeSantis in a federal race because state law does not limit how much an individual can give to the committee or the source of the donations. However, this money could be shifted to a super PAC that supports DeSantis if he is no longer connected to the committee.
DeSantis has been hosting dinners with financial supporters at his official residence in Tallahassee and recently dined with evangelical Christian Bob Vander Plaats, who runs The Family Leader in Iowa, a group that promotes Christ-like leadership in the home, church and government.
DeSantis also has been fine-tuning his stump speech, seeking to differentiate himself from former President Donald Trump without alienating Trump's loyal base. Polling consistently shows DeSantis trailing Trump for the GOP nomination, but he is competing well in a head-to-head contest with President Joe Biden.
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