Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, after a lackluster early campaign for the Republican presidential nomination, is reopening the market for a replacement for Donald Trump.
Business leaders, especially, are looking for a candidate who sticks to conservative policies without the culture-war fervor DeSantis has shown in recent months or the drama and unpredictability of Trump.
Among the names being discussed by GOP operatives are Virginia Gov. Glenn Yonkin and Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp — both of whom recently chaired meetings of high-level donors.
Brian Darling said: “If anyone is running, he’s not trying to overtake Maga Trump on economic issues, it’s a Reagan-esque candidate who can talk about free market policies and praise – not demons Globalization — big business, that would be welcome,” said Rand Paul, a former aide to Sen. Rand Paul and executive at the conservative Heritage Foundation.
Youngkin has previously said he would not be running “this year.” Asked about his plans on Wednesday, he responded: “It’s a shame that I might do it. . . But I’ll keep my eye on Virginia. ”
Still, growing calls for him to enlist have prompted Republican operatives to analyze his words. “Youngkin is meeting with business people who are open to his message . . . basically he’s not crazy,” said an adviser to a top New York donor.
A source close to the Virginia governor’s political operations acknowledged that donors encouraged him to “keep options open for the future.”
Others called for support for Kemp, who twice defeated progressive Stacey Abrams in gubernatorial races and then staunchly opposed Trump’s efforts to overturn the results of Georgia’s 2020 presidential election. “Brian Kemp is deeply loved by conservatives,” said Republican strategist Daniel Farage, who DeSantis introduced to conservative groups in Washington when he first ran for Congress.
Two other potential Republican candidates pitched to the business community are New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. Sununu, in particular, has repeatedly criticized DeSantis for attacking Disney and other companies’ so-called “wake-up” policies — an approach he rejects as a violation of the party’s traditional tenets.
“I think the best foundation for the Republican Party is limited government and local control. Recognizing that private enterprise and the free market make this country great,” Sununu told Fox News recently at a conference in DeSantis’ home state of Florida. said in the interview.
Meanwhile, Christie, who described herself as a hard-line but pragmatic conservative in her party’s failed bid for the nomination in 2016, has also been encouraged by donors to consider running again, with a decision expected within weeks.
“For a while, (DeSantis) lost it, and that led people to look for a third option,” said Mike Duheim, a Republican consultant in New Jersey who is close to Christie.
Still, some Republican analysts remain convinced that Trump is doomed and that challenging him carries enormous risks. In doing so, candidates will take months of beatings that could lead not only to defeat but to their political demise. Paradoxically, the more people in the race, the better Trump’s chances of winning the divide.
Others who raced failed to gain traction.According to the latest Realclearpolitics.com Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley has the support of 4.6 percent of Republican primary voters, while former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson has just 0.8 percent, the poll showed. Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, who declared for the White House last week, received 1.9 percent of voters.
DeSantis’ campaign got off to a bad start last week, with a glitch in a Twitter post with Elon Musk. The Florida governor began taking action late last year when Trump appeared vulnerable and several experts speculated that the populist spell he had cast on his party had finally broken.
Candidates the former president supported in the midterm elections have underperformed in key races in Pennsylvania, Georgia and Arizona. Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp media empire has brutally attacked Trump, calling him a “loser” in a New York Post page while designating German DeSantis is the future of the party. Multiple criminal investigations also appear to threaten Trump’s viability as a candidate.
“After the midterm elections, I thought someone had an opportunity to challenge Trump, but no one came forward except DeSantis,” Darling said.
The Florida governor developed enthusiasm early on and built a formidable war chest. But he has struggled since then. One challenge for DeSantis is how to stand up to Trump without alienating the former president’s loyal fans. Recent polls show him trailing Trump by more than 30 points — though it’s still early days. DeSantis hopes to regain 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 curbing school curriculum, has been repulsive. There were also doubts about his indifference.
Interactive Brokers founder Thomas Peterffy diverted $1 million to Youngkin’s political campaign after he recently said he would stop donating to DeSantis. Other big Republican donors, including Blackstone CEO Steven Schwarzman, have met with DeSantis but have not yet committed to him.
Despite DeSantis’ stumbles, Trump’s buoyant polls are a reminder of his enduring relationship with supporters even as he’s been battered by legal battles, including a $5 million civil suit over his alleged sexual assault Dollar judgment. He also displayed an insurgent dynamism that some advisers felt was lacking in his failed re-election campaign.
“This is not Trump 2020,” Farage said. “It’s Trump 2016.”
Farage, by contrast, has been critical of DeSantis’ continued hostility with Disney over his criticism of the so-called “don’t say gay” law he signed last year that limits discussion of sexual orientation in elementary schools.
He argues that Florida’s governor should use Bob Iger’s recent return as CEO of a media company as an opportunity to make peace. Instead, he continued his feud with the state’s largest private employer.
“He couldn’t let go,” he said.