The campaign for Florida GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis continues to home in on state lawmaker endorsements in what the campaign considers the roots for the grassroots campaigning before the 2024 GOP primary.
DeSantis picked up the endorsements of 19 political leaders in North Carolina, putting his total at 260 state legislator endorsements in seven states, his campaign reported Wednesday:
- 99 state legislators in Florida
- 51 state legislators in New Hampshire
- 37 state legislators in Iowa
- 20 state legislators in Oklahoma
- 19 state legislators in Michigan
- 19 state legislators in North Carolina
- 15 state legislators in South Carolina
North Carolina is a traditionally Republican state, even more so than its neighboring South Carolina. DeSantis remains in an uphill battle in the GOP primary, including in North Carolina. The latest polls (both from April) listed by RealClearPolitics have former President Donald Trump as a 33- and 19-point leader on runner-up DeSantis. All other candidates are in single digits.
The following were mentioned by the campaign for having officially endorsed DeSantis:
- House Majority Leader John Bell
- State Supreme Court Justice Phil Berger Jr.
- State Sen. Bobby Hanig
- State Sen. Danny Britt
- State Sen. Jim Burgin
- State Rep. Allen Chesser
- State Rep. David Willis
- State Rep. Dennis Riddell
- State Rep. Jarrod Lowery
- State Rep. Jason Saine
- State Rep. Jeff McNeely
- State Rep. Jennifer Balkcom
- State Rep. Keith Kidwell
- State Rep. Kenneth Fontenot
- State Rep. Kevin Crutchfield
- State Rep. Matthew Winslow
- State Rep. Sam Watford
- State Rep. Steve Ross
- State Rep. Wayne Sasser