COLUMBIA, S.C. — Ron DeSantis has received 10 endorsements in South Carolina from former backers of Senator Tim Scott’s presidential campaign. Florida’s governor hopes he can solidify his strength in the first-in-the-South primary state as the 2024 GOP field continues to rise. consolidate.
A list shared with The Associated Press on Friday before it was made public includes South Carolina state Reps. Bill Taylor and Tom Hartnett Jr. – are now announcing their support for DeSantis.
“Ron DeSantis is the leader we need at this exact moment,” Hartnett said. He said DeSantis is “the only candidate I know can win” and would be a president “who will keep his promises to reverse the decline of our economy.” country.”
Both DeSantis and former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley are trying to recruit supporters and donors to Scott’s campaign after his surprise departure. DeSantis’ campaign claims it is better positioned than Haley to take on former President Donald Trump in early primary states, including South Carolina, which Haley once led as governor.
The campaign also told AP that DeSantis will be back in the state on Dec. 1 for a slew of campaign events as activity ramps up in the state ahead of the South’s first primaries on Feb. 24.
He will also appear that evening at an annual dinner sponsored by The Citadel Republican Society, where DeSantis will receive the Nathan Hale Patriot Award, an honor accompanied by a replica Revolutionary War-era musket previously given to Trump, Haley, Scott and former Vice President Mike Pence.
With DeSantis’ total of 68 endorsements from elected officials in South Carolina, he has announced more than any other presidential candidate, his campaign said. Taylor and Hartnett were among dozens of officials whose endorsements Scott rolled out in June, a month after he launched his candidacy.
DeSantis is now aiming to make inroads in Scott’s home state, given the senator’s abrupt exit from the race on Sunday. During an appearance on his good friend, former Rep. Trey Gowdy’s Fox News Channel show, Scott said he suspended his efforts after voters “made it very clear that they were telling me, ‘Not now, Tim.'”
The announcement — which surprised supporters, donors and even Scott’s own staff — made him the second major candidate to drop out of the race since last month. Pence suspended his campaign three weeks ago, announcing at a Republican Jewish Coalition meeting in Las Vegas: “This is not my time.”
Scott and the rest of the Republican field have struggled in a race dominated by Trump. Despite four criminal charges and many other legal challenges, Trump remains far ahead of his rivals, leading many in the party to conclude that the race is effectively over barring a stunning change of fortune.
In South Carolina, that dominance has continued. In January, Trump was endorsed by officials including Governor Henry McMaster, Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evette, Senator Lindsey Graham and several members of the US House of Representatives delegation. He is also endorsed by the speaker of the state House and several other legislative leaders.
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Meg Kinnard can be reached at http://twitter.com/MegKinnardAP