Speculation continues: Will DeSantis run for POTUS in 2024?

Surrounded by state legislators and Jewish leaders, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, center, holds up two bills that he signed, Monday, June 14, 2021, at the Shul of Bal Harbour, a Jewish community center in Surfside, Fla. DeSantis visited the South Florida temple to denounce anti-Semitism and stand with Israel, while signing a bill into law that would require public schools in his state to set aside moments of silence for children to meditate or pray. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

by: Mike Vasilinda

Posted: Jun 15, 2021 / 04:25 PM EDT

Updated: Jun 15, 2021 / 04:25 PM EDT

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (Cap News Services) – Governor Ron DeSantis’s national popularity is growing every day as he takes on Big Tech, Critical Race Theory, and anti-riot legislation.

At the same time, speculation is growing he will make a run for Presidency in 2024, but he must first get re-elected in 2022.

When Gov. DeSantis walked into a South Florida Jewish Community Center to sign two bills Monday, he was greeted like a rock star.

Minutes later the Rabbi introduced DeSantis in a rather interesting way.

“Governor and future World Leader,” said Rabbi Sholom D. Lipskar.

As a Republican, DeSantis has made political inroads with the Jewish community. During a trade mission to Israel in 2019, he was asked if he would run for President.

“Certainly not in 2020. You can guarantee that,” DeSantis said at the time.

However, some critics like Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, who has already announced her Democratic bid for governor is telling voters to choose her because DeSantis will spend the first two years of a second term running for president.

“In 2024, he is running for president… He’ll be running around the country trying to get the nomination and then if he were to be successful, he’d be leaving halfway through his four-year term, so not a single day he would be serving as governor in the second term,” said Fried.

If DeSantis were to seek the presidency after winning the race for governor, he’d have to submit his resignation, effective the date of the November 2024 election.

Right now though, DeSantis has only confirmed he is running for re-election.

“Probably everywhere I go, I get people who have all these ideas and um people can say what they want, but we’ve got a lot to do here, so that is the focus that I have,” said DeSantis.

DeSantis has not yet submitted his application to run for re-election, and is not listed among gubernatorial candidates in the state elections database.

Any plans the governor or other Republicans have for seeking the presidency will remain in limbo until Donald Trump makes his decision on whether he will run again in 2024.

Early expectaions suggest that the winning 2022 Gubernatorial candidate will spend in excess of $100 million and perhaps as much as $150 million while campaigning.