DeSantis Ends Bid for Republican Nomination
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis gives a victory speech after defeating Democratic gubernatorial candidate Rep. Charlie Crist during his election night watch party at the Tampa Convention Center on November 8, 2022 in Tampa, Florida. DeSantis was the projected winner by a double-digit lead // Photo Courtesy: Octavio Jones/Getty Images
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has ended his presidential campaign, facing challenges in connecting with voters and persuading Republicans to choose him over former president Donald Trump.
DeSantis, who had been seen as a strong contender after winning re-election by a wide margin in 2022, struggled in polling and faced internal issues within his campaign.
On Sunday afternoon, DeSantis in a video message posted on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, said, “It’s clear to me that a majority of Republican primary voters want to give Donald Trump another chance.”
This leaves Trump and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley to contest New Hampshire and the remaining 48 states.
DeSantis endorsed Trump just before today’s New Hampshire primary, where Trump is expected to perform well.
According to The Washington Post, DeSantis openly acknowledged “disagreements” and conflicts with Trump, while criticizing Trump’s remaining rival, Haley, insinuating that she was a much far worse option for voters, shedding light on the complexities of their political relationship and how this political relationship may also have influenced DeSantis’ decision to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race.
In Monday night’s first FAMU Student Senate meeting of the spring semester, Elijah Hooks, chief of staff of the Student Government Association, said, “Ron DeSantis’ decision to drop out of the presidential race is going to have a multitude of impact because DeSantis is on a catch-up trail to address issues that are going on in the state of Florida.”
Hooks stressed the urgency for DeSantis to address local issues in the state of Florida now that he is no longer pursuing the presidency.
Hooks further emphasized the potential in DeSantis’ efforts to fulfill his role as governor following his withdrawal from the 2024 presidential race, saying, “It provides Florida with the 100 percent governance that we should have received once he started this election. He has been on the campaign trail and in the media, he has not stayed steady on his position as governor.”
Internal problems, a lack of a coherent message and a weak donor program contributed to DeSantis’ campaign struggles.
Despite the financial advantages, including a $100 million campaign fund toward reelection that was alleged to fund his 2024 presidential bid, as reported by Forbes, DeSantis faced donor backlash over controversial stances.
His exit came amid tensions within his campaign and a lack of a clear path to victory.