Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced on Sunday that he was ending his presidential campaign and endorsing leading Republican candidate Donald Trump in a video posted to his social media accounts, just two days before the New Hampshire primary election.
Not even one year after winning a second term as the Florida governor, DeSantis announced his bid for the 2024 presidential election last May, looking to take on former president Trump for the Republican nomination.
Since then, he has failed to overtake Trump in the polls. In the Iowa caucus last Wednesday, DeSantis won 21.2% of the Republican vote, failing to rival Trump’s 51%. A few days later, he dropped out of the race altogether.
In his video announcing the end of his bid, DeSantis said, “It’s clear to me that a majority of Republican primary voters want to give Donald Trump another chance.”
Last summer, federal filings showed DeSantis was spending campaign funding at a rate that could not be replenished. By the end of July, he laid off almost 40 employees, cutting his campaign staff down by one-third.
Since then, DeSantis has debated other Republican candidates and California Gov. Gavin Newsom, with Trump notably absent from all five Republican debates.
DeSantis has not announced any future career plans and can now shift his focus back to his final term as governor, which ends January 2027.
The Florida Democratic Party canceled the Florida Democratic primary by only submitting incumbent Joe Biden’s name last November. Trump, Nikki Haley and Ryan Binkley are still in the Republican race and are set to compete for Florida’s vote on March 19.
___
For more information or news tips, or if you see an error in this story or have any compliments or concerns, contact editor@unfspinnaker.com.