Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.) is expected to announce his official entry into the presidential race next week, sources tell the New York Times. According to the report, DeSantis will submit the required paperwork to declare his candidacy with the Federal Election Commission before a crucial gathering with donors in Miami on May 25. The move is largely tied to his ability to actively seek donations for his presidential campaign.
DeSantis already has unprecedented amount of money in his campaign coffers ahead of the launch of his campaign. He is anticipated to have over $80 million transferred from his state account to his super PAC, Never Back Down. Additionally, Never Back Down has raised over $30 million on its own and has received commitments for tens of millions more from donors.
To mark his entrance into the presidential race, DeSantis is expected to release a campaign launch video. He will then hold a series of events in the early nominating states, as reported by one source.
Despite his large financial advantage, DeSantis trails Donald Trump in most national polls. However, DeSantis is by far the most formidable challenger to Donald Trump.
Related: Trump’s Primary Support Is Weaker Than It Looks. Here’s Why.
Trump knows this, and a recent CBS News/YouGov poll explains exactly why Trump repeatedly attacks DeSantis despite his significant lead in GOP primary polls. The poll employed a two-step approach, asking voters to initially select all the candidates they were considering supporting for the Republican nomination and then to choose only one candidate they would vote for presently. Even though Trump emerged as the frontrunner in both categories, most of his support comes from swayable GOP primary voters. According to the poll, only 24% of GOP primary voters are solely considering Trump, while 27% are not considering him at all, and 49% of GOP primary voters are open to considering Trump or another candidate.
There’s no doubt that Trump is the best positioned of any GOP primary candidate, but the number of persuadable GOP primary voters and those not considering Trump is actually larger than those only considering Trump at this point. “This would indicate the primary is very much in flux with no presumptive nominee (yet), despite what Trump’s lead on the topline indicates,” observes G. Elliott Morris, senior data journalist and U.S. correspondent for The Economist.
Regardless, both candidates are in a strong position to win the White House in the general election. According to a recent Washington Post general election poll, both Trump and DeSantis have seven-point leads over Biden.
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