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Rick Snyder to run for president as a Republican in 2024. De Spigolo, who serves as the GOP chair of Ingham County, told Mlive on Tuesday that she’s “already hearing from Republicans who want to see someone like Governor Snyder step up and lead our party.”
This is uncharted territory for Michigan, which hasn’t seen a Republican run for president since Gerald Ford in 1976 and has only had one sitting governor do so (John Engler in 1992). However, with DeSantis emerging as arguably the top contender for the Republican nomination in 2020 — he’s polling at or above 30 percent among Republicans nationally — it seems possible that some other gubernatorial candidates will follow his lead and seek higher office sooner rather than later.
What’s DeSantis Doing In Michigan?
After winning the governorship in 2014 and then losing to Democratic incumbent Debbie Stabenow in 2018, Snyder is keeping his political options open — and looking at a possible presidential run in 2024. Snyder recently hired a new campaign manager, John Weaver, who was with President Trump’s 2016 campaign. De Spigolo, who is Snyder’s former campaign manager, said the governor is already talking to donors, making trips to Iowa and other early-voting states, and building up his political operation.
“He’s already a national figure,” De Spigolo said. “This would just elevate his political profile even more.” De Spigolo added that she’s “confident” that Snyder will run for president after he leaves the governor’s office. “I think he’s very serious about this.”
Snyder Talks Up His Republican Record
Snyder is a popular governor and has been a consistent Republican elected official for decades, but that hasn’t prevented Democrats from looking at his record and questioning him on his commitment to their party.
During a recent speech at the Mackinac Policy Conference, Snyder addressed the criticism head-on. He touted his tenure as the governor of Michigan, saying he’s the only Republican to win the governorship in the state since 1954. “We balanced the budget and created a program that’s helping more than 223,000 Michiganders,” he said. “I don’t have any skeletons in my closet. I’m proud of what we’ve done and I’m proud of being a Republican.”
DeSantis Launches Campaign To Build Base
DeSantis launched his campaign for the White House in January and is already touring the country to build a national base of support for a potential presidential bid. He’s spending a lot of time in Iowa and South Carolina, two early-voting states with large numbers of evangelical voters. DeSantis also has a strong base of support in Michigan, where he has visited several times in recent years.
DeSantis also has political ties to the state — his wife is from there and grew up in the Macomb County area. DeSantis has shown a willingness to take on Trump on issues like immigration and climate change, and he’s already made visits to states that are likely to be key to any winning strategy for a Republican seeking the White House.
DeSantis Has The Background, Experience, And Fundraising To Be A Threat To Trump In 2020
DeSantis has a strong resume as a congressman, with a consistent voting record that spans both parties. He’s also a proven fundraiser, having raised more than $1.2 million for his own campaign for the House. He hasn’t run for statewide office before and had no experience with federal or national politics until running for Congress in 2016.
But he has a strong base of support in Michigan and even has a name-recognition factor, as he’s recognizable from his Fox News appearances and has a large social media following. DeSantis also has a record of hitting the issue Trump cares most about: immigration, where he has pledged to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.
Other Republicans Are Looking At Higher Office
With DeSantis appearing to be the top contender for the Republican nomination in 2020, others are looking at running for higher office, particularly governor.
It’s worth noting that the job of governor in Michigan is nonpartisan, so whoever is elected could run for either party. Republicans have controlled the governorship for only one term in the last 60 years, but it’s not out of the question for another GOP candidate to win the governorship in 2022 or 2024. One potential Republican candidate is Attorney General Bill Schuette, who is term-limited after two terms as governor.
Bump Up The Date For A Primary Run
As mentioned above, DeSantis’s campaign is focused on building a national base of support for a potential 2020 presidential run. That puts him several years off from the typical primary date.
DeSantis, who is 52 years old, could run in 2020 as a more senior candidate, as he’s already filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission to run for re-election to the House. That would allow him to run for re-election while also campaigning for president in 2020.
However, it’s important to note that he’s only filed the paperwork to run for re-election, which doesn’t hold him legally accountable to run for something else, like governor.
Bottom Line
With DeSantis emerging as arguably the top contender for the Republican nomination in 2020 — he’s polling at or above 30 percent among Republicans nationally — it seems possible that some other gubernatorial candidates will follow his lead and seek higher office sooner rather than later.
Michigan is also worth watching. With the governor’s race likely to be crowded and expensive, it could provide an opening for a candidate who hasn’t been seen as a serious candidate until they file for governor.
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| Dale Pison |
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