DeSantis raises massive $8.2 million on launch, breaking Biden’s 2019 record
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (FLV) – Gov. Ron DeSantis’ campaign announced $8.2 million was raised in the first 24 hours post-launch, which breaks President Joe Biden’s previous non-incumbent campaign launch record of $6.3 million in 2019.
The fundraising came off DeSantis’ bumpy Twitter launch, where servers were said to be “straining” because of massive amounts of people trying to tune into the governor’s announcement on the platform.
DeSantis’ campaign said the fundraising will be “critical” in his efforts to be the GOP nominee in 2024.
“This historic fundraising haul shows that grassroots Republicans across the country are uniting behind Governor DeSantis’ vision for our Great American Comeback,” campaign manager Generra Peck said. “Governor DeSantis has built the strongest, most sophisticated organization in the history of American politics, and the tremendous support we’ve experienced in the last 24 hours will be critical as we hit the ground running in the early nominating states to share Governor DeSantis’ plan to revitalize the American Spirit.”
Former President Donald Trump-supporting super PACA Make America Great Again, Inc. discounted the record, with a spokesman saying DeSantis’ efforts are not enough to “make up for his botched campaign launch.”
“After a three month shadow campaign, including a legislative session that clearly leveraged Florida taxpayer money to elevate his fundraising efforts, DeSantis was still not able to raise enough money to make up for his botched campaign launch,” Alex Pfeiffer, spokesman for Make America Great Again Inc.
“His record of targeting senior benefits, wanting to raise taxes, and withholding funding for the border wall makes this campaign dead on arrival,” he said. “No amount of money will change that.”
DeSantis will travel to Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina starting on May 30 and extending through June 2.
On Tuesday, May 30, DeSantis will have a “campaign kickoff” event in Des Moines, Iowa. That event will be the first in-person rally-style event for his presidential campaign, which some media outlets falsely reported was going to occur in Dunedin, Florida, the governor’s hometown.
Then, May 31, DeSantis will travel across Iowa, speaking in Sioux City, Council Bluffs, Pella and Cedar Rapids.
Iowa is the first state to have a say in the GOP’s 2024 primary in the form of the Iowa Caucus.
June 1, he will go to New Hampshire, the first primary election state, speaking in Laconia, Rochester, Salem and Manchester.
After that, he will finish his four-day, 12 city-and-town tour on June 2 in South Carolina, visiting Beaufort, Lexington, Greenville.
DeSantis previously visited those early primary states, but at the time did not declare his official candidacy. Events were dubbed “Florida Blueprint,” pairing with his Feb. 28-released book, The Courage to Be Free: Florida’s Blueprint for America’s Revival.
