 Campaign Report |
Campaign Report |
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Mr. DeSantis Goes to Washington |
DeSantis is set to meet a handful of GOP lawmakers on Tuesday near the U.S. Capitol. The event, according to a copy of an invitation obtained by The Hill, is being billed as a "meet and greet and policy discussion." |
© Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP |
Among those on the guest list are Reps. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.), Darin LaHood (R-Ill.), Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), Chip Roy (R-Texas) and Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah). So far, Massie and Roy are the only congressional Republicans who have thrown their support behind Gov. Ron DeSantis's 2024 aspirations. It's not unusual for would-be presidential hopefuls to swing through the nation's capital as they prepare to launch their campaigns. But DeSantis has rarely traveled to D.C. since leaving Congress in 2018 in the final months of his first successful campaign for the governor's mansion. And given the recent flood of Republican lawmakers lining up behind former President Trump's campaign, it's easy to imagine why he's heading to D.C. As one Republican strategist tied into House GOP politics told The Hill recently: "A lot of members are starting to doubt that DeSantis can beat Trump in a primary, and he needs to start making his case to them." Trump has racked up an impressive list of congressional endorsements in recent weeks, including from several Florida members. That list got a little bigger on Monday when Rep. Greg Steube (R-Fla.) threw his support behind the former president during an appearance on Newsmax. It was another blow to DeSantis, whose supporters have begun calling members of Florida's Republican congressional delegation in an effort to ward off further defections. Yet it's unclear how successful those efforts have been; one source familiar with endorsement plans told The Hill that more Florida Republicans are likely to come out in support of Trump soon. |
Welcome to The Hill's Campaign Report, we're Max Greenwood, Caroline Vakil and Julia Manchester. Each week we track the key stories you need to know to stay ahead of the 2024 election and who will set the agenda in Washington. |
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Key election stories and other recent campaign coverage: |
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Former Arkansas governor and 2024 presidential candidate Asa Hutchinson (R) says former President Trump has "taken us back to bitterness," urging the GOP to move on as Trump campaigns for another White House term. "Why does the party need to move on from Donald Trump?" NBC News correspondent Vaughn Hillyard asked Hutchinson in an interview aired Tuesday. "Because Donald Trump has taken us back to bitterness. He's taken us back … |
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Republican primary voters' support for former President Trump slipped slightly in a new Morning Consult poll released Tuesday. Fifty-three percent of potential GOP primary voters said they would support the former president, down from a high of 57 percent earlier this month in the wake of his arraignment in Manhattan. Trump pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records for his role in a $130,000 hush … |
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| Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) is facing pressure to rehab his political standing amid new concerns about his strength in a 2024 presidential race. The governor has taken repeated hits from former President Trump over the past several weeks and has already lost out on several high-profile endorsements, including a handful from GOP lawmakers in his state. Meanwhile, Republican donors are expressing concern publicly and privately … |
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Upcoming news themes and events we're watching: |
- 179 days until Louisiana's gubernatorial primary
- 203 days until Kentucky's and Mississippi's gubernatorial generals
- 567 days until the 2024 general election
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Santos says he will run for reelection |
© Associated Press/Stefan Jeremiah |
Despite being dogged for months by multiple investigations, campaign finance issues and pressure from fellow Republicans to resign from Congress, Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) isn't being scared off. He announced on Monday that he would seek a second term in the House in 2024, committing himself to a reelection bid just 100 days after beginning his controversy-ridden first term. "Since the Left is pushing radical agendas, the economy is struggling, and Washington is incapable of solving anything, we need a fighter who knows the district and can serve the people fearlessly, and independent of local or national party influence," Santos said in a statement. Santos came under scrutiny late last year after The New York Times published a story highlighting inconsistencies and outright lies in Santos's resume. Since then, the controversies have continued to pile up and there are still lingering questions about everything from his financial dealings to lying about his résumé and personal life. In announcing his reelection bid on Monday, Santos didn't address the various controversies that have surrounded him for months. Rather, he sought to cast himself as a political outsider who had upheld his promises to his district. "Good isn't good enough, and I'm not shy about doing what it takes to get the job done. I'm proud to announce my candidacy to run for re-election and continue to serve the people of NY-3," he added. |
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Hutchinson set to jump in |
© Associated Press/Pablo Martinez Monsivais |
The GOP primary field is about to get bigger. Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, who announced earlier this month that he plans to seek the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, is expected to formally kick off his campaign in his home state on April 26, according to a message posted on his website. Meanwhile, Larry Elder, the conservative talk show host and former California gubernatorial candidate, is also weighing a 2024 bid and is expected to make an announcement "soon," the Daily Caller, a conservative news site, reported last week. They'll join an ever-growing list of Republicans challenging Trump for the GOP nod next year. Among the others running are former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy. Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) launched an exploratory committee earlier this month, almost guaranteeing that a presidential campaign is in his future. There are more announcements expected soon. DeSantis is likely to launch a campaign in the next couple of months, while former Vice President Mike Pence has said that a final decision on a White House run is likely to come in "weeks" rather than "months." Still, at least one would-be candidate has ruled out a bid recently. Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in an interview on Fox News on Friday that he would not seek the Republican presidential nomination in 2024, conceding that "this isn't our moment." |
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Branch out with a different read from The Hill: |
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New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu (R) knocked former President Trump on Monday, saying Republican voters are "tired" of having a candidate who's "just yelling at them all the time." "[Republican voters] are waiting for someone … who's affable, someone they can believe in, someone who's inspirational, someone who ain't just yelling at them all the time," Sununu told talk radio host John Catsimatidis on his "Cats & Cosby Show" … |
Republicans are looking to use vulnerable Democrats' votes on a GOP energy bill against them in the next election cycle. A memo from the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), the party's campaign arm, that was obtained by The Hill states "vulnerable House Democrats representing districts with jobs tied to domestic energy production made a critical mistake opposing H.R. 1." The memo singles out Democratic … |
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Local and state headlines regarding campaigns and elections: |
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Election news we've flagged from other outlets: |
- DeSantis tried to bury her. Now she's helping Trump try to bury him (The New York Times)
- The one thing Trump and McConnell agree on: A hatred for this group (Politico)
- How DeSantis became Florida's most powerful governor in a generation (The Washington Post)
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Key stories on The Hill right now: |
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House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) on Tuesday laid out his opening salvo for a go-it-alone debt limit increase bill he hopes will bring President Biden to the negotiating table — but first, he has to wrangle members of his own conference. With just a four-member majority and a still-unfinished bill, Republican leaders’ push … Read more |
| A tit-for-tat battle between President Biden and Speaker McCarthy (R-Calif.) over the nation's finances is escalating this week with the White House blasting the Speaker as he turned to Wall Street Monday to pitch his debt ceiling plan. With Congress returning from a two-week recess, the talks are reaching a crucial stretch in nearing … Read more |
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Opinions related to campaigns and elections submitted to The Hill: |
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You're all caught up. See you next time! |
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