Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida is set to officially file for the 2024 South Carolina Republican presidential primary during his visit to the state next week, making him the first GOP candidate to do so.
His campaign informed that DeSantis would submit his candidacy paperwork at the Republican Party headquarters in Columbia on Tuesday.
The filing will coincide with DeSantis’ third visit to South Carolina as part of his campaign, a state where Republican candidates have already been active for over a year. On Monday, he is scheduled to stop at Tega Cay, a prosperous community on Lake Wylie at the North Carolina border.
Once his candidacy has been formally declared, DeSantis plans to introduce a new policy initiative in Columbia. While the specifics of the policy have yet to be announced, this will be his second major policy proposal, following his immigration plans. These include ending birthright citizenship and completing the southern border wall, which he outlined during a June trip to a Texan border town.
DeSantis’ visit to South Carolina follows a Republican gathering in Iowa last Friday. The event was attended by other hopefuls but not by former President Donald Trump, who currently leads the field. The Family Leadership Summit was one of numerous events in Iowa in the coming weeks as voters started considering their options with six months remaining until the initial caucuses. This offers the Republican presidential hopefuls the opportunity to establish support bases to challenge Trump’s early lead.
The South Carolina Republican presidential primary is scheduled for February 24. The state, home to two potential 2024 candidates – former Governor Nikki Haley and Senator Tim Scott – plays a crucial role for GOP contenders. South Carolina has consistently supported Trump in his past campaigns.
As the election season unfolds, all eyes will be on critical states like South Carolina and Iowa, and candidates like DeSantis are making their intentions known early. With DeSantis’ forthcoming policy announcements and his participation in numerous events, his bid for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination is taking shape. With Trump’s potential involvement still uncertain, it’s anyone’s race, but DeSantis’ early move to file his candidacy could set the pace for other GOP hopefuls to follow.
