Florida GOP Paves the Way to Help Ron DeSantis Challenge Trump

Florida Republicans sent a bill to Governor Ron DeSantis' desk for his signature that clears a major hurdle in the governor's long-anticipated declaration of a 2024 presidential campaign.

SB 7050 passed in the Florida State House by a 76-34 vote on Friday, which includes an amendment to the state's Resign to Run law that requires officials to resign from office before qualifying as a candidate in another race. Under the new bill, DeSantis would be allowed to maintain office even if he runs for president or vice president.

All 34 votes against the proposed amendment came from House Democrats. Nine state lawmakers did not vote on the bill.

DeSantis has not announced his official candidacy but is rumored to launch his 2024 campaign in the spring. The Florida leader has become a rising star in the Republican Party in recent years and has been touted as former President Donald Trump's potential biggest competition in his reelection campaign for the GOP nominee.

Republican Florida House Speaker Paul Renner and Senate President Kathleen Passidomo supported amending the state law in November, telling Politico that it would be a "good idea" to allow DeSantis to run for president without having to resign.

"If an individual who is Florida governor is running for president, I think he should be allowed to do it," Passidomo said. "I really do. That's a big honor and a privilege, so it is a good idea."

This is not the first time Florida's legislature has removed the resignation requirement. In 2008, the law was modified for then-Governor Charlie Crist, who was a front-runner for John McCain's potential running mate. The requirement, however, was reinstated in 2018.

Trump has wasted no time attacking DeSantis, even without the governor formally launching his campaign. This month, the former president accused his former ally of being "disloyal" to the Republican Party and criticized DeSantis for his past stances on Social Security and Medicare. Trump has also repeatedly attacked the Florida governor for his policy choices during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, and often refers to him as Ron "DeSanctimonious."

If DeSantis does make a formal bid for president, his campaign will reportedly be able to tap into $110 million in total funds, including more than $80 million sitting in DeSantis' state reelection coffers, according to a Politico report on Friday.

Recent hypothetical polling data shows that Trump holds a decisive lead over DeSantis for the Republican nominee. In a Harris/Harvard poll conducted on April 18 and April 19, Trump was leading the Florida governor by 35 percentage points among GOP voters.

Overall, Trump earned 55 percent support among Republicans voters in the recent survey, and has also stayed well ahead of his former running mate, ex-Vice President Mike Pence, in a hypothetical primary matchup.

Newsweek has emailed Trump's communications team on Friday for comment about Florida's amendment proposal.