Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis will officially enter the race for president next week as his campaign donors begin a fundraising blitz, people familiar with the decision told The Wall Street Journal on Wednesday.
A more formal kickoff event or events would follow, but the details haven’t yet been made public, the report said.
DeSantis has been actively preparing for a campaign and is currently running second in polls to former President Donald Trump, who has opened up a sizable lead in recent weeks. A number of analysts and people close to Trump expect DeSantis will gain back some ground after becoming an official candidate.
Trump has warned DeSantis against running for president in 2024, saying, “I think he would be making a mistake. I think the base would not like it. I don’t think it would be good for the party.”
Several other Republicans have already launched campaigns to challenge Trump — including former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, conservative entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson — but they have largely failed to gain much traction in the polls.
Republicans who are also weighing potential campaigns include former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott and former Vice President Mike Pence.
Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was also mentioned as a possible contender, but he officially announced recently that he has decided not to run.