A.G. Gancarski
If conservative activists got together, held a Frank Luntz style focus group, and created a candidate from a prototype, he would look a lot like United States Representative Ron DeSantis, who looks very much like he’s going to run to replace Marco Rubio in the Senate.
Check the boxes. Young. A telegenic wife. An Iraq War veteran. A Harvard Law and Yale pedigree. A conservative voting record. DeSantis has everything Florida conservatives could want in a successor to Rubio. Especially North Florida conservatives, who routinely find themselves without a seat at the table when it comes to statewide politics.
The national types love DeSantis. The Club for Growth, FreedomWorks, and the Senate Conservative Fund all lauded his potential candidacy; more will follow.
The problem DeSantis might encounter, though, is the aforementioned geography. A strong South Florida candidate, such as Lt. Gov Carlos Lopez-Cantara, would be well positioned for this run… especially with the blessing of Marco Rubio.
For his part, the Representative doesn’t draw any distinctions between himself in the Senator; indeed, he clearly cited Rubio as an influence in his statement on Tuesday.
“Marco Rubio has done a great job in the U.S. Senate. His 2010 campaign inspired me to consider running for office, and I have no doubt that he will make a compelling candidate on the national stage,” DeSantis said. “As it became clear that Sen. Rubio was likely to run for president, I received encouragement to consider running for the Senate. Casey and I will use the next several weeks to discuss the race with our friends and supporters and will make a decision in short order.
“The country is suffering from stagnation at home and indignities abroad. We need a new generation of leaders who will promote policies that will foster economic growth and alleviate the middle-class squeeze, defend America’s national security against those who threaten our people, reform the culture of Washington, D.C., and reassert the constitutional principles that make our country unique. Whatever shape my future service takes, I look forward to doing my part to help get our country back on track.”
National themes for a candidate who very much is in line with the message of National Greatness conservatism. Those will resonate with North Florida Republicans (and likely, many statewide as well). The question for DeSantis as he considers this statewide campaign will be how he balances that broader appeal with a localized appeal to his natural political base, one that would be an asset in a crowded primary.
