Florida Governor Ron DeSantis thanked some of his South Florida donors at a closed-door meeting in Miami on Sunday, sidestepping any mention of Donald Trump and any possible plans to run for president.
It was the first time DeSantis, 44, had met with a large group of donors since his decisive re-election victory in November.
The governor’s speech, which lasted less than 30 minutes, focused on the scope of his re-election win, touting in particular his showing in traditional Democratic strongholds such as Miami-Dade County, according to six people who were present. DeSantis noted how his victory could be a blueprint for Republicans in the future.
DeSantis’ speech covered much of the same ground in other post-election appearances where he’s touted the size and breadth of his victory in the state. He also pointed out that he has managed to win support among moderate Republicans, and even a few Democrats, two groups with whom Trump has struggled.
Representatives for the governor declined to comment on the meeting.
The event, which had about 100 people at the Miami room at the Four Seasons Hotel, was for “medium dollar donors, not million dollar donors,” Armando Chapelli, of Key Biscayne, chairman of Washington Consulting Group, said after the meeting ended.
Asked about the possibility of Trump and DeSantis both running in 2024, Ann Reyes, chief executive officer of Florida-based National Airspace Technologies and Chapelli’s partner, said, “It will be interesting.” They are both elected members of the Miami-Dade County Republican Party.
“We have too many riches in our party, we have these two great men,” Chapelli said of the Trump and DeSantis rivalry. He is a longtime DeSantis supporter and has a ticket to the governor’s Jan. 3 inauguration.
While DeSantis’ sweeping win in November helped propel him as an alternative to Trump, he now needs to fend off the many other GOP rivals who are expected to seek the party’s nomination.
Trump officially declared his widely anticipated third White House bid in November, hoping to discourage rivals from challenging him in 2024. But other aspirants have stepped up public events in recent months as the midterm election cycle closed with Georgia’s U.S. Senate runoff last week.
“I’d like DeSantis to keep doing what he’s doing as a governor right now,” Marc Goldman, a self-described “politically active investor” who’s part of the Republican Jewish Coalition, said after the event.
“We see the free state of Florida doing so much better compared to the oppressive states such as California and New York: it shows the difference his leadership makes,” Goldman said. “Why are they not copying his leadership?”
Goldman said the mood was appreciative, with attendees celebrating that the campaign went well.
DeSantis raised a record amount of money this election cycle — more than $160 million since January 2021. He still has tens of millions left, people familiar with his campaign said, which is why he didn’t ask donors for more money Sunday. Republican donors believe DeSantis is working behind the scenes to lay the groundwork for a possible White House run, even if the governor didn’t address the topic directly in his remarks.
“Right now, DeSantis looks a lot like a duck: Calm on the surface, but paddling underneath,” said Dan Eberhart, a major GOP donor and chief executive officer of oilfield services company Canary Drilling Services.
Eberhart, who wasn’t at the event Sunday, is among several Republican mega-donors who have publicly said the party should move on from Trump. Others include Blackstone Inc. Chief Executive Stephen Schwarzman and Thomas Peterffy, founder of Interactive Brokers Group Inc.
Those criticisms have helped fuel other aspirants for the GOP nomination. Former Vice President Mike Pence has been giving interviews and making appearances on a tour promoting his autobiography, and spent the year laying the groundwork for a potential 2024 run. He has said he’ll give “prayerful consideration” during the holidays with his family to a White House bid. Former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley said at a Nov. 29 event that she’s also taking the holidays to consider running. Haley said she’ll “look at it in a serious way.”
Other possible GOP contenders include former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, previous Secretary of State Michael Pompeo, and outgoing governors Larry Hogan and Asa Hutchinson.
DeSantis is considering similar events in other parts of the state to thank local donors, mirroring what he did after the 2018 election to his first term, according to people familiar with his plans.
—With assistance from Mark Niquette.
