Why DeSantis Should Not Run
While Governor DeSantis seems poised to enter the 2024 presidential primary, it may torpedo his political potential and weaken him as a future candidate.
The 2024 Republican presidential primary has officially begun, but the field is looking sparse. Right now the only declared, serious candidates are former President Donald Trump and former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley. There is plenty of speculation as to who may jump in, including former Vice President Mike Pence, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, however none have made public statements about a presidential run. Comparatively, in 2016, Trump would not officially announce until June 2015, but by March he had already said to reporters that he was planning to run for president and was hiring staff in early primary states.
Gov. DeSantis, on the other hand, has not started an exploratory committee or even commented publicly on whether he is interested in running. DeSantis has become the main potential, non-Trump candidate, with polls in various states showing him in either first place, or second place behind Trump. In a recent poll of Iowa republicans, one of the first states in the Republican presidential primary, DeSantis is viewed favorably by 74% while Trump