Funviralpark Donald Trump’s potential Republican rival reflects a growing sense within the party that the former president is far from the inevitable candidate after the midterm elections, which blamed much of the party’s predicament. , stepping up operations for 2024. “You never know when an early frontrunner stumbles,” said Hutchinson, urging the party to stay away from Trump and say who else will catch up. said it was too early.
So far, Trump is the only front-runner to officially announce his candidacy for 2024. But key figures in the Republican Party are laying the groundwork for potential campaigns, both publicly and behind the scenes.
Many operatives say there are benefits to sitting down and being well-prepared while Trump deals with his growing problems. The former president faces several investigations. Criticism of his association, including the widely condemned dinner he had with an anti-Semite. And there are growing calls within the party to move in a new direction.
“Trump is certainly not what he used to be,” said Mike Dennehy, a longtime Republican consultant in New Hampshire.
Polls show that Trump is not unstoppable, with many prominent Republicans declining to endorse him and many others becoming more outspoken about their criticism of Trump. rice field. Trump has not campaigned since announcing his campaign at his Mar-a-Lago mansion in mid-November. A spokeswoman for Trump did not respond to a request for comment.
Strategists say the coming months will be critical as rivals grow staff, build profiles in key states and fund tough campaigns.DeSantis is the most talked about candidate. However, the governor of Florida has not yet announced his candidacy or dropped him.
Many potential candidates have said they will make a decision in 2024 this winter or spring, and associate campaign events will be held after the holidays as they gather in early states for meetings and fundraising Lincoln Day dinners. It is expected to increase rapidly.
With over a dozen companies expressing interest or refusing to rule out execution amid speculation, potential candidates are well committed to laying the groundwork for their campaigns. However, it is unclear how many will actually take the plunge. A crowded field could work in Trump’s favor, as in 2016 when other members of the party did not unite around a single option as Trump won a major early contest by multiple votes. There is a possibility
In a recent interview with Fox News, Pompeo said, “By the first quarter of next year, we thought we’d have to work hard to do that. Pompeo’s Political Action Committee responded to a request for comment. did not respond.
Nikki Haley, who served as ambassador to the United Nations under Trump, said at a recent event that she would consider using her time off to run for office. Pence plans to gather his entire family in Indianapolis for the first holiday season in three years to weigh options, his aides said.
Former Vice President, He is at odds with Trump and his allies for refusing to attempt to overturn the 2020 election loss. The aide said he will continue his book tour next month, visiting megachurches and starting Jan. 15 with the First Baptist Church of Dallas and its pastor and longtime evangelical ally of Trump, Robert Jeffress. starts with
Jeffress refused to immediately endorse Trump when he announced his candidacy for the White House for the third time in November, even though a pastor called him a “great president.”
Trump leads in many polls for 2024, but DeSantis is starting to overtake him in some direct polls, and congressional allies are in no hurry to endorse the former president. The member is trying to make a case for the main part of his coalition.
In some states, governors are gearing up for legislative sessions early next year, which could provide a new platform for presidential pitches. In Florida, where the overwhelming majority of the new Republican Party gives DeSantis even greater power to enact his agenda, Republicans are “constitutional carry” of abortion, data privacy and firearms, according to Tallahassee lobbyists familiar with the plan. We hope to address ‘environmental, social and governance’ (ESG) standards in investing — a practice increasingly denounced by the right as liberal excesses. State officials have begun previewing parts of that agenda.
DeSantis’ office did not respond to a request for comment.
DeSantis just won a resounding re-election, but the rest of the party fell short of making the big gains they hoped for in the midterm elections. He has spent the past two years waging a high-profile legislative battle. He bans classroom discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity in early grades. Disney was also stripped of its special tax status in Florida after Disney criticized DeSantis’ policies and more.
Clashes with companies are expected to continue in the next session. Republicans will try again to pass her DeSantis-backed bill on unauthorized use of consumer data and set new rules for investing state funds to target her ESG. Florida officials recently announced that the leading asset manager and ESG advocate would divest state assets from BlackRock, but BlackRock denounced the move as political. .
Florida’s current 15-week abortion ban isn’t as restrictive as policies in many other Republican-controlled states, and DeSantis is publicly vague about further restrictions on abortion he supports — Republican Reserve Potential Vulnerabilities in Elections. But at a press conference this month, DeSantis expressed a willingness to ban the “heartbeat bill” at about six weeks pregnant.
Trump has faced a number of direct and implicit criticisms from governors, their supporters, and others who may run for election, some seeking to differentiate themselves from DeSantis. One of the advisers to South Dakota Gov. Christy L. Nome, contrasting her with DeSantis, said late last month that Nome had released a social media app on state devices, citing national security concerns. He noted that he became the first governor to ban TikTok.Other states soon followed.
An adviser to Noem, who spoke on condition of anonymity to share the plan privately, said the governor plans to visit Iowa early next year. Noem spokesman Ian Fury said he had been invited to many Lincoln dinners, including in Iowa, but had not yet committed. I believe that it should be shared inside.
In Virginia, the state legislature approved a $4 billion tax bill, but Governor Glenn Youngkin (who rose to stardom while flipping the state last year) could face opposition in the Democratic-controlled state Senate. proposed tax cuts for residents and businesses. Cut earlier this year. The Virginia Legislature, which begins in mid-January, could bring even more results to the governor.
The wealthy former executive at a private equity investment firm is under no pressure to raise money ahead of a possible 2024 bid, but Youngkin is seeking donors, some of whom are involved. We held a retreat that we described as a way to measure support for 2024.
At the event, Yonkin said he didn’t know what would happen, but encouraged donors to take a “journey” with him.
New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu has expressed concern over a repeat of 2016. An overcrowded field split the vote and helped give Trump the nomination and eventual presidency, but he’s also not ruling out his own run. Sununu recently launched his Facebook ads targeting Iowa and South Carolina, even though in his recent CNN interview he declared his focus on New Hampshire. FWIW Newswhich closely tracks online advertising.
FWIW News spotted Recently, two other candidates have resumed Facebook advertising. DeSantis and Senator Tim Scott (South Carolina). Scott has advertised in battleground states this year, published a book, and this fall spoke at the Republican Jewish Coalition conference, which served as a showcase for potential candidates for 2024.
In Maryland, tenured Governor Larry Hogan ramped up fundraising late last month at an event promoting the Federal Political Action Committee, raising more than $1.2 million. He said he would not announce his plans until he resigned early next year.
Greg Abbott of Texas, another high-profile governor being discussed as a front-runner, has shown little move toward the presidential race this cycle. Dave Kearney, a New Hampshire-based Republican consultant who advises Abbott, said the governor’s focus is on the southern border and the next Congress, and in June after Congress ended, he said, “What will happen?” It takes time to carefully consider whether there are options,” he said.
Other potential candidates include former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and former New Jersey Gov. Senator Rick Scott (Florida) – who once chaired Trump’s transition team but now runs the former president. Severely criticized – including Senator Ted Cruz (Texas). 2016 Republican nominee.
Arkansas Governor Hutchinson said, “There are a lot of good people who are considering the race.” Is it appropriate for America at a particular time?”
Michael Scherer and Tyler Pager contributed to this report.
