Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is raking in huge fundraising sums in preparation for his 2022 re-election bid, reportedly raising nearly $6 million in just the last two months.
DeSantis had shut down fundraising efforts at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, but began fundraising again in October. Since then, he has raised more than $11 million.
DeSantis has even out raised the Florida Republican Party. Politico reported on Monday that it had raised $3.65 million the first three months of 2021.
DeSantis’ fundraising far outpaces that of Nikki Fried, the Agriculture Commissioner who is the only Democrat elected statewide, and could be DeSantis’ top challenger in 2022.
A big part of DeSantis’ popularity with conservatives and Republicans stems from his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Sunshine State.
Early on, he avoided mandatory lock downs and mask mandates, and focused on the safety of Florida’s large senior citizen population. Now a year later, Florida has been open for business, and Florida’s school children are back in the classroom.
