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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) raised more than $5.1 million in May with six days still left in the month, according to his campaign committee.
Friends of Ron DeSantis reported raking that figure in from contributions during the first 25 days of the month. The group raised a whopping $14 million in April, ending that month with $31.6 million in cash on hand. The figure is about one-third of the combined total spent by DeSantis and his 2018 opponent, Andrew Gillum, which clocked in at about $100 million.
Democrats won’t select their nominee to challenge DeSantis until next year, but Rep. Charlie Crist (D-FL) became an early frontrunner for the role after he announced this month he would run. Crist, a former personal injury attorney, also previously served as a Republican governor of his state from 2007-11. He switched parties after an unsuccessful bid for the Senate in 2010 that saw him lose favor among Republican voters, who opted instead for Sen. Marco Rubio (R).
In addition to the fundraising gap, polling indicates DeSantis’ challenger could face a battle to win public opinion before the election in 17 months. A survey published by Cherry Communications this month on behalf of the Florida Chamber of Commerce found 55 percent of the state’s voters said they approved of DeSantis’ job performance, compared to just 40 percent who said they disapproved.
An even larger number — 70 percent — said they approved of the way he handled the distribution of Covid-19 vaccines.
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