Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ lackluster early performance in his bid for the Republican presidential nomination has reopened the market for alternatives to Donald Trump.
Business leaders, in particular, are looking for a candidate wedded to conservative politics but without the culture war fervor DeSantis has displayed in recent months or the theatrics and unpredictability of Trump.
Among the names discussed by Republican activists are Glenn Youngkin of Virginia and Brian Kemp of Georgia – both of whom have hosted recent meetings of high-profile donors.
“It would be welcome to have someone in the race who wasn’t trying to outdo Maga Trump on economic issues, a Reagan-style candidate who can talk about free-market policies and praise — not demons — big business,” said Brian Darling. , a former aide to Senator Rand Paul and executive director of the conservative Heritage Foundation.
Yongkin had said earlier that he would not run “this year”. Asked about his plans on Wednesday, he replied, “It’s very sad that there was an expectation that I might do that . . . but I will continue to focus on Virginia.”
However, the growing clamor for his recruitment causes Republican agents to analyze his words. “Youngkin meets business types who are open to his letter… He’s not fundamentally crazy,” said an advisor to a major donor in New York.
A source close to the Virginia governor’s political process acknowledged that donors are encouraging him to “keep his future options open.”
Others claim Kemp, who defeated progressive Stacey Abrams twice in the gubernatorial race and then proved strong in opposing Trump’s efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in Georgia. “Brian Kemp is beloved by conservatives,” said Daniel Faraci, the Republican strategist who introduced DeSantis to conservative groups in Washington when he first ran for Congress.
Two other potential Republican candidates running for the business community are Chris Sununu, the governor of New Hampshire, and Chris Christie, the former governor of New Jersey. Sununu, in particular, has repeatedly criticized DeSantis for attacking Disney and other companies for supposedly “wake-up” policies — a practice he has dismissed as inconsistent with the party’s traditional principles.
I think the best foundation for the Republican Party is limited state and local control. Private companies and a free market are what make this country great, Sununu said in a recent interview with Fox News at a conference in DeSantis’ hometown, Florida.
Meanwhile, Christie, who described himself as a tough but pragmatic conservative in a failed bid for the party’s 2016 nomination, is also being encouraged by donors to consider another round and is expected to make a decision within weeks.
“There was a moment and he (DeSantis) missed it, and that led to people looking for a third option,” said Mike Duhemey, a New Jersey Republican consultant close to Christie.
However, some Republican analysts are convinced that the race is Trump’s loss, and that challenging him is too risky. By doing so, the candidate would be engaging in months of blows that could lead not only to defeat but also to their political demise. Ironically, the more people who enter the race, the greater Trump’s chances of winning over a divided field.
Others who jumped into the race failed to gain steam. According to the latest news Realclearpolitics.com Polling median Nikki Haley, the former governor of South Carolina, is supported by 4.6 percent of Republican primary voters, while Asa Hutchinson, the former governor of Arkansas, is supported by just 0.8 percent. Tim Scott, a South Carolina senator who announced his candidacy for the White House last week, has 1.9 percent of the vote.
DeSantis’ campaign got off to an inauspicious start last week with a glitch-filled launch on Twitter alongside Elon Musk. The Florida governor began the gambit late last year when Trump looked vulnerable and many pundits speculated that the populist spell he had cast on the party had finally been broken.
The candidates the former president endorsed in the midterm elections fared poorly in crucial races in Pennsylvania, Georgia and Arizona. Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp media empire has turned on Trump in brutal fashion, branding him a “loser” in the pages of the New York Post while casting DeSantis as the future of the party. Multiple criminal investigations also appeared to threaten Trump’s survival as a candidate.
“Right after the midterms, I think there is an opportunity for someone to challenge Trump, but no one has stepped in except for DeSantis,” Darling said.
The Florida governor generated early enthusiasm and built an enormous war chest. But he has struggled since then. One of the challenges for DeSantis is how to confront Trump without alienating adoring fans of the former president. Recent polls show him trailing Trump by more than 30 percentage points — though that’s still early days. DeSantis hopes to pick up momentum this week with appearances in Iowa and New Hampshire.
For many business leaders, his relentless focus on hot-button social issues, such as restricting abortion and curtailing school curricula, has been a turn-off. There are also doubts about his aloof style.
Thomas Petrffy, founder of Interactive Brokers, funneled $1 million to Youngkin’s political operation after recently saying he was halting donations to DeSantis. Other major GOP donors, including Blackstone CEO Stephen Schwarzman, have met with DeSantis but have yet to commit to it.
While DeSantis has stumbled, Trump’s burgeoning polls are a reminder of the tenacity of his relationship with his supporters even while he has been beset by legal troubles, including a $5 million judgment in a civil suit in which he has been accused of sexual assault. It also shows a rebellious strength that some advisers believe his failed re-election campaign lacked.
“This is not Trump 2020,” Faraci said. “This is Trump 2016.”
By contrast, Faraci blasted DeSantis’ ongoing feud with Disney over its criticism of the so-called “Don’t Say Like Me” law he signed last year, which restricts discussion of sexual orientation in elementary schools.
He thought the Florida governor should have used Bob Iger’s return as CEO of the media company as an opportunity to make peace. Instead, he continued to feud with the largest private employer in the country.
He said, “He can’t leave her.”