Despite the fact Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) hasn’t even announced his presidential campaign yet the Republican is already seeing a surge in support.
Steve Cortes, who served as a campaign adviser to former President Donald Trump, announced on Tuesday he’s endorsing DeSantis for the GOP nomination in the 2024 presidential election.
“Governor Ron DeSantis represents the best possible option to win the presidency in 2024 and to govern as a highly capable, patriotic populist leader,” Cortes wrote in an op-ed published Tuesday.
“I have worked as a dedicated spokesman and advocate for Donald Trump for much of the last seven years, so I do not arrive at that conclusion flippantly,” Cortes added. “But our America First movement has always been bigger and more important than any one individual, and heading into this crucial election, our activism and our votes must be guided by a clear-eyed assessment of recent failures and potential future successes.”
Next, he pushed that the Republican Party needs to start throwing its support behind candidates who actually win elections, claiming there is “no substitute for victory.” He provided examples while noting the party failed to achieve its goals in the past three election cycles.
“Now it’s time to take that same approach for the nation,” Cortes wrote. “In Ron DeSantis, Republicans can rally to a fresh, vibrant, and optimistic agenda, one that includes electoral victory followed by disciplined and focused policy achievements.”
Cortes serves as a senior campaign advisor to Trump on both his 2016 and 2020 campaigns.
Trump and DeSantis have been labeled as the leading contenders for the GOP’s 2024 presidential nomination.
Last week, DeSantis teased a coming presidential announcement, according to The Hill. The Republican Governor originally noted that no announcement would come until after the state concluded its legislative session.
“I also understood that we had this opportunity here to be able to really, really do a lot of great stuff, and I’ve always said that we’re gonna see this through,” DeSantis said at a news conference. “What happens in the future? We’ll get on that relatively soon. You either gotta put or shut up on that as well.”
The 2024 Pennsylvania Senate race is emerging as one of the most closely watched and pivotal contests in the nation, with significant implications for the balance of power in the U.S. Senate. Incumbent Democrat Senator Bob Casey Jr. is seeking reelection for a fourth term, while Republicans are coalescing around David McCormick, a former hedge fund executive.
Both candidates are gearing up for what is expected to be one of the most expensive and competitive Senate races in the country…
Bob Casey Jr.: The Incumbent
Bob Casey Jr., son of the late Governor Bob Casey Sr., has served Pennsylvania in the Senate since 2006. Casey has built a reputation as a pragmatic legislator who prioritizes health care, jobs and labor rights.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
In the Senate, Casey has leveraged his seniority to secure key committee assignments, including on the influential Senate Finance Committee.
However, the political climate in Pennsylvania has become increasingly polarized in recent years, teeing up a more challenging electoral environment for the seasoned politician this year. With the Keystone State narrowly voting for Joe Biden in 2020 after flipping to Donald Trump in 2016, Republicans see this as an opportunity to unseat Casey.
David McCormick: The Challenger
David McCormick, a former hedge fund CEO and Army veteran, is a prominent figure in Pennsylvania politics and business. McCormick served as the CEO of Bridgewater Associates, one of the world’s largest hedge funds, from 2020 to 2022, where he gained a reputation for strong leadership in the financial sector. A West Point graduate, McCormick also served as an Army officer during the Gulf War, earning a Bronze Star for his service.
National Archives at College Park – Still Pictures, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
In public service, McCormick held senior economic positions in the George W. Bush administration, including Under Secretary of the Treasury for International Affairs. His platform emphasizes economic growth, job creation and strengthening national security. McCormick is also focused on fiscal conservatism, advocating for reduced government spending and taxes.
McCormick previously ran for Senate in 2022, narrowly losing the Republican primary to Mehmet Oz, who ultimately lost to Democrat John Fetterman in the general election. Since then, McCormick has remained active in Pennsylvania politics, positioning himself as a fiscal conservative and critic of the Biden administration’s economic policies.
McCormick’s background in business and finance has appealed to Pennsylvania’s suburban voters, while his military service has resonated with the state’s sizable veteran population along with Donald Trump’s MAGA base.
Key Policy Issues
In his 2024 campaign, McCormick has focused on national security, economic freedom and his status as a business leader and political outsider, in stark contrast to Casey’s long tenure in Washington. This dynamic has brought the race to a near tie.
I retired from the Army as a captain after a combat tour in Iraq, but I've never stopped serving my country.
I'm a seventh-generation Pennsylvanian, political outsider, & PA job creator.
Bob Casey is a weak, liberal, 30-year career politician who has failed our commonwealth. pic.twitter.com/NnuK1F25Su
McCormick’s platform focuses on reducing government spending, boosting economic growth and opposing progressive policies that he argues have hurt the state’s energy sector, particularly coal and natural gas.
Fundraising and Campaign Spending
The Pennsylvania Senate race is expected to be one of the most expensive in the nation, with both candidates benefiting from substantial outside spending.
According to Federal Election Commission (FEC) data, Bob Casey has raised more than $21 million, thanks to strong support from labor unions, healthcare groups, and Democrat super PACs such as the Senate Majority PAC. Casey’s deep connections with national Democrats and his long-standing relationships with Pennsylvania’s organized labor groups have made him a fundraising powerhouse.
On the Republican side, David McCormick has raised over $17 million with significant support from national conservative groups such as Club for Growth and Americans for Prosperity.
Endorsements and Support
Donald Trump: Former President Donald Trump officially endorsed McCormick’s Senate bid last April during a Pennsylvania rally.
“I am officially giving my endorsement to David McCormick tonight. He’s a good a man. He wants to run a good ship. He’s a smart guy, who was a very successful guy. He’s given up a lot to do this,” Trump told supporters at a rally in Schnecksville, Pennsylvania.
“I’ll tell you what: He’s the nominee of the Republican Party, David McCormick. Go out and vote for him because Casey doesn’t do a damn thing,” Trump said.
Pat Toomey: Former Senator Pat Toomey praised McCormick’s economic expertise and commitment to conservative values, saying he’s the right leader to represent Pennsylvania.
Ari Fleischer: The former White House Press Secretary endorsed McCormick at a September fundraiser, highlighting his strong leadership and policy experience.
Organizational Endorsements:
Senate Leadership Fund: Backed McCormick as part of their efforts to secure Republican Senate seats.
Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC): Endorsed McCormick for his unwavering support for Israel and stance against antisemitism.
“RJC trusts Dave McCormick – a 7th generation Pennsylvanian, West Point graduate, combat veteran, Bronze star recipient, Pennsylvania job creator and business leader – to be a Senator the people of Pennsylvania can be proud of.”
“Bob Casey is no friend of Israel. Where Bob Casey has failed, Dave McCormick will lead.”
Voter Sentiment and Polling
Recent polling data suggests that the race between Casey and McCormick is likely to be close, reflecting Pennsylvania’s status as a swing state. Polls indicate that Casey holds a slight lead over McCormick, but the race is expected to tighten as November draws closer. Pennsylvania has a history of closely contested statewide elections, with margins often decided by just a few percentage points.
RealClearPolitics (October 14, 2024): Casey leads McCormick 47.8% to 44.6%
Emerson College Poll (October 2024): 48% support incumbent Democrat Senator Bob Casey while 46% support Republican Dave McCormick.
Trafalgar Polling (October 2024): Casey leads McCormick 47.4% to 45.6% with 7% undecided.
Quinnipiac Univesity (October 2024): Incumbent Democratic Senator Bob Casey leads Republican challenger David McCormick 51% to 43%. Democrats 96% to 3% back Casey, while Republicans 88 % to 10% back McCormick. Independents are evenly split, with 44% supporting McCormick and 44% supporting Casey.
Both candidates will need to appeal to Pennsylvania’s diverse electorate, which includes rural, suburban, and urban voters. Rural parts of the state have trended Republican in recent elections, while urban areas like Philadelphia and Pittsburgh remain Democratic strongholds. The key battleground will likely be the suburbs, particularly in counties like Bucks and Montgomery, where moderate and independent voters could swing the outcome.
A protester holds up a Black Lives Matter sign outside the Hennepin County Government Center.
A Black Lives Matter leader is supporting Trump to become the next President, saying Black Americans are tired of Democrats’ “duplicity and hypocrisy.”
Mark Fisher, who is the co-founder of Black Lives Matter Rhode Island, joined ‘FOX & Friends’ to discuss why some Black voters are abandoning Democrats as they consider who they will vote for in the 2024 presidential election.
“It’s the duplicity of the Democrats, the hypocrisy,” Fisher told Lawrence Jones Tuesday. “We’re not stupid. The brothers are not stupid. We understand when someone’s for us and when someone is not, and it’s obvious that the Democratic Party is not for us.”
Fisher argued Democrats “don’t value” the Black vote during an interview with “The Kim Iversen Show” earlier this month.
“We’ve been used and abused for so long by that party, they don’t value our vote,” Fisher said. “Their policies are basically racist policies. I believe it’s a racist party. Donald Trump is just the opposite. He’s he’s going to tell you how it is. He’s going to give it to you straight.”
“A lot of people are misinformed,” Fisher said. “They don’t really understand because they don’t educate themselves on Donald Trump as a person and his history, but if they do that, and it’s going to take… educated leaders to getting the word out there, I think that it’ll happen on its own, and it’ll be organic, because personally, I love the man.
The White House from Washington, DC, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Following Super Tuesday’s disappointing results for Nikki Haley, the former South Carolina Governor has suspended her campaign.
“I am filled with the gratitude for the outpouring of support we’ve received from all across our great country,” Haley said. “But the time has now come just suspend my campaign.”
I end my campaign with the same words I began it from the Book of Joshua. I direct them to all Americans, but especially to so many of the women and girls out there who put their faith in our campaign.
In brief remarks to a crowd of supporters, Haley did not endorse Trump but called on the presumptive 2024 Republican nominee to earn votes from those who did not back him in the Republican primary.
“It is now up to Donald Trump to earn the votes of those in our party and beyond it who did not support him,” Haley said. “And I hope he does that. At its best, politics is about bringing people into your cause, not turning them away.”
Trump kicked Haley on her way out of the primary in a post on Truth Social shortly after her remarks began.
“Nikki Haley got TROUNCED last night, in record setting fashion, despite the fact that Democrats, for reasons unknown, are allowed to vote in Vermont, and various other Republican Primaries. Much of her money came from Radical Left Democrats, as did many of her voters, almost 50%, according to the polls,” Trump wrote.
“At this point, I hope she stays in the ‘race’ and fights it out until the end! I’d like to thank my family, friends, and the Great Republican Party for helping me to produce, by far, the most successful Super Tuesday in HISTORY, and would further like to invite all of the Haley supporters to join the greatest movement in the history of our Nation. BIDEN IS THE ENEMY, HE IS DESTROYING OUR COUNTRY. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!”
Tuesday evening, Republican businessman Vivek Ramaswamy officially launched his 2024 White House campaign during his interview with Fox News’s “Tucker Carlson Tonight.”
“We are in the middle of this national identity crisis, Tucker, where we have celebrated our diversity and our differences for so long that we’ve forgotten all of the ways that we are really just the same as Americans, bound by a common set of ideals that set this nation into motion 250 years ago, and that’s why I am proud to say tonight I am running for United States president,” Ramaswamy said.
We’ve celebrated our “diversity” so much that we forgot all the ways we’re really the same as Americans, bound by ideals that united a divided, headstrong group of people 250 years ago. I believe deep in my bones those ideals still exist. I’m running for President to revive them. pic.twitter.com/bz5Qtt4tmm
“We’re in the midst of a national identity crisis. Faith, patriotism & family are disappearing. We embrace one secular religion after another — from wokeism to climatism — to satisfy our deeper need for meaning. Yet we cannot even answer what it means to be an American,” Ramaswamy said on Twitter.
“The GOP can fill that void. E pluribus unum: from many, one. That is the dream that won the American Revolution; that reunited us after the Civil War, that won us two World Wars & the Cold War. That is the dream that still gives hope to the world. That is American exceptionalism,” he said.
The millionaire investor and author has been hinting for weeks about potentially entering the race.
Ramaswamy, 37, is the first non-elected official and the second first-generation Indian American seeking the White House in the 2024 election cycle, the first being former ambassador to the U.N. and former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, who launched her candidacy last week.
If the anti-woke tech entrepreneur is elected to the White House, Ramaswamy told The New York Times his first act as president would be repealing Executive Order 11246.
That order “requires affirmative action and prohibits federal contractors from discriminating on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin,” according to the Department of Labor.
Former President Donald Trump is seeking to rewin North Carolina as he aims to retake the Oval Office.
A new poll from Quinnipiac University is the latest survey to indicate Trump with a slight edge over Biden in the crucial southeastern battleground state.
Trump grabs the support of 48% of registered voters in the survey, with Biden two points back at 46%, in a head-to-head 2024 election rematch.
The survey, conducted April 4-8 and released on Wednesday, indicates Democrats overwhelmingly backing Biden (95%-2%) and Republicans supporting Trump by a similar margin (94%-3%), with the former president holding a 49%-41% lead over his White House successor among independents.
Trump also has the edge over Biden when the matchup is expanded to include independent and third party candidates. Trump stands at 41% in the poll, with Biden at 38%, independent Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at 12%, and Green Party candidate Jill Stein and independent Cornell West each at 3%.
While the poll suggests the presidential contest for North Carolina’s 16 electoral votes remains tight, it indicates that Democratic state attorney general Josh Stein holds an eight point (52%-44%) lead over Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson in the showdown for governor.
Vice President Kamala Harris discussed her plan to reduce the cost of living in a town hall hosted by Oprah Winfrey on Thursday. The recently-anointed Democratic nominee stated that she would achieve this by lowering the prices of essential items.
The question posed to Harris was straightforward enough and, quite frankly, on the minds of most persuadable voters: “What will you do to lower costs?”
Here’s exactly what she said:
“Yeah. I first of all, thank you both for being here and yours is a, a story I hear around the country as I travel, and in terms of both rightly, having the right to have aspirations and dreams and ambitions for your family and working hard and finding that the American dream is for this generation and so many recently far more elusive than it’s been, and we need to deal with that. And there are a number of ways. One is bringing down the cost of everyday necessities, including groceries.”
Yesterday’s Michigan town hall has since been ridiculed by numerous MAGA celebrities.
During the 90-minute livestreamed interview, where Harris also took questions from the audience, the vice president discussed a number of key 2024 topics, such as abortion rights, immigration and gun violence.
A number of Donald Trump‘s supporters have mocked Harris for her at times lengthy responses during the event in the key swing state, with some suggesting that the vice president’s answers were a “word salad.”
This might be the worst world salad ever in the political career of Kamala Harris.
The whole time you could feel Oprah wanted her to stop.
The audience looks like they’re realizing how gone Kamala is.
During the interview, Harris told Winfrey that Americans are an “optimistic people,” adding: “Americans, by character, are people who have dreams and ambitions and aspirations. We believe in what is possible. We believe in what can be, and we believe in fighting for that.
“That’s how we came into being because the people before us understood that one of the greatest expressions for the love of our country—one of the greatest expressions of patriotism—is to fight for the ideals of who we are, which includes freedom to make decisions about your own body; freedom to be safe from gun violence; freedom to have access to the ballot box; freedom to be who you are and just be, to love who you love openly and with pride; freedom to just be.”
Reflecting on the perceived train wreck, politico and MAGA influencer Collin Rugg concluded, “After watching this and then watching the debate, I realize how much practice she had for that debate.”
“This interview is what Harris sounds like on a normal day.”
And television appearances as a presidential candidate don’t get friendlier than this…
Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds is explaining why she broke tradition and decided to endorse Florida Governor Ron DeSantis during the 2024 Republican presidential primaries.
As a mother, grandmother, and American, I can't sit on the sidelines.@RonDeSantis is the person who will fight for you. Who will have the moral conviction to do what’s right & the ability to actually do what he promises.
The popular Republican governor told NBC News’ Dasha Burns that she broke with Iowa’s tradition of governors remaining neutral through the primaries because the country has “too much at stake.”
“I just felt like I couldn’t sit on the sidelines any longer,” she said. “We have too much at stake. I truly believe that he is the right person to get this country back on track.”
Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds on why she's breaking with the Iowa tradition of staying neutral during the primaries and endorsing Ron DeSantis:
“I just felt like I couldn't sit on the sidelines any longer. We have too much at stake. I truly believe that he is the right person to… pic.twitter.com/f46QbmMZOU
NBC News noted that the endorsement was the “biggest endorsement of the primary” season so far and that it was a significant boost for the DeSantis campaign.
When asked why she endorsed DeSantis, who is in second place in the race, she said: “I don’t base my decision on polls. I take a look at who I believe is the right person for the right job. I believe that Ron is the right person for the right job. And I believe he’s going to win.”
Burns later asked about her relationship with former President Donald Trump who has fired off repeated attacks against Reynolds, often accusing her of being disloyal to the former President.
When asked when the last time she spoke to Trump, she said, “Probably the last time he called to ask if I would endorse him, and I said I wasn’t at this point.”
EXCLUSIVE: Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.) talks about the pressure fmr. Pres. Trump puts on Republicans. DeSantis: “You could be the best governor ever and he’ll trash you. You could be a terrible, corrupt politician. But if you kiss his ring, then all of a sudden he’ll praise you.” pic.twitter.com/3gP2Tixaxb
New York Times reporter and avid Trump critic Maggie Haberman revealed to “The View” panel who former President Trump is considering to be his next running mate and has reportedly narrowed the pool of candidates down to two lawmakers.
While promoting her upcoming book on the 45th President of the United States, Haberman admitted Trump is laser-focused on Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and his potential to torpedo Trump’s chances of winning the Party’s nomination with his own presidential campaign.
Trump is “focused on Ron DeSantis in a way he isn’t on anybody else,” Haberman said, according to Mediaite.
“There are a couple of people whose names get mentioned,” Haberman answered, “and the one ho gets mentioned the most by people close to him is Tim Scott from South Carolina, the senator. And then Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who is possibly the next governor of Arkansas.”
The mention of Trump’s former White House press secretary drew very audible groaning from Whoopi Goldberg, others at the table, and the audience.
“I didn’t mean to cause that. I’m sorry,” Haberman said, to which, Goldberg replied “it just came up out of my system.”
Former New York congressman Lee Zeldin is reportedly considering a run for Senate.
On Monday, Zeldin told reporters he’s considering challenging Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D) in 2024, according to Politico.
“We’ll keep an eye on the race,” Zeldin said while at the state Capitol on Monday to visit with lawmakers. “If we did run, it would be an extremely competitive race.”
The former Long Island congressman received nearly 47 percent of the vote against Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) last November, the best performance by a Republican gubernatorial candidate in the solidly-blue state in two decades.
Gillibrand is running for her third term in the Senate next year. The Democrat has even launched a fundraising campaign on the possibility Zeldin may enter the race.
“It was something that I was giving no thought to, but she was trying to fundraise. And the best way to fundraise in the first quarter of 2023 was to speak about a viable opponent,” Zeldin said in an interview before joining former presidential advisor Kellyanne Conway at a dinner for the New York State Federation of Republican Women near Albany.
Zeldin said his main focus right now is helping out candidates for local office this year “who helped us during last year’s race.” He’s spent recent weeks traveling the state to campaign with the candidates “and that’s where the focus will remain” for the moment.
“We’ll see how the race shapes up,” he said of the possibility of challenging Gillibrand. But he acknowledged that “there’s even more of a Democratic-favored turnout” in a presidential election year than in a midterm like the one in which he led the GOP ticket in 2022.
Earlier this week, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s spokesperson told reporters the “Squad” member would not be challenging Gillibrand for the Senate seat in the next election.
Lauren Hitt, Ocasio-Cortez’s spokesperson, told Politico Sunday that the representative will not throw her hat into the ring in 2024.
“She is not planning to run for Senate in 2024,” Hitt said. “She is not planning to primary [Kirsten] Gillibrand.”
Last month, Zeldin publicly endorsed Donald Trump for president despite previously calling for a “robust” primary field.
“The GOP is filled with amazing talent to save our country from the failed policies of the Biden Admin. Our nominee in 2024 will be the 45th & 47th POTUS, Donald Trump,” he wrote.
“Our economy will be stronger, our streets will be safer, & our lives will be freer. He has my full support!”
