Politics

DeSantis vs. Trump: Who's endorsing whom? A City & State tracker

Their respective endorsements highlight each of the GOP frontrunners’ spheres of influence.

Photo illustration by City & State/Photos by Scott Olson via Getty Images

By Tristan Wood

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Tristan Wood
By Tristan Wood
Staff Writer

Gov. Ron DeSantis and former President Donald Trump have been gathering political endorsements like two sides amassing arms in a cold war, rattling sabers as their 2024 showdown becomes inevitable. 

With DeSantis expected to officially announce his bid for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination as early as this week, his team unrolled a list of 99 endorsements from Florida lawmakers after a legislative session that got attention nationally. 

The move was no doubt a response to Trump rounding the bases with congressional endorsements, already securing a majority of support from the state’s Republican congressional caucus.

Where their endorsements come from shows the two frontrunners’ sphere of influence. Trump, for example, is still a tremendously popular figure in his party and the overwhelming frontrunner in the race. Endorsing him is a no-brainer for GOP elected officials without strong ties to DeSantis. 

DeSantis, on the other hand, still holds immense influence over the Florida Legislature with the 2023-24 budget awaiting his signature – and his line-item vetoes. With such potent leverage, it’s no surprise he got overwhelming support from state lawmakers.

Related coverage – Editor's note: On Ron DeSantis and the new ‘imperial governorship’ in Florida

And yet Susan MacManus, a retired political science professor at the University of South Florida, said she’s skeptical that the endorsements will have much effect on voters. 

“If you walked out on the street and asked a random person to name one person who endorsed Trump or DeSantis, no one is going to know that,” she told City & State. 

She sees DeSantis’ rolling out of the lawmakers endorsements as a clear counterpunch to Trump’s congressional endorsements. “It is kind of like a car show: I’ll match you and do you one better,” MacManus said.

Here are the federal and state elected officials and other political players from the Sunshine State that have (or have yet) to weigh in on Trump or DeSantis. 

Those publicly endorsing Ron DeSantis:

Republican U.S. Representatives

Laurel Lee

Republican state Representatives

House Speaker Paul Renner

Chuck Clemons

Adam Anderson

Alex Rizo

Alina Garcia

Berny Jacques

Bob Rommel

Brad Yeager

Chuck Brannan

Danny Alvarez

David Smith

Fabian Basabe

Fiona McFarland

Fred Hawkins

James Buchanan

Jeff Holcomb

Jenna Persons-Mulicka

Jennifer Canady

Jessica Baker

John Snyder

John Temple

Josie Tomkow

Juan Fernandez-Barquin

Kaylee Tuck

Keith Truenow

Kevin Steele

Kiyan Michael

Lawrence McClure

Linda Chaney

Melony Bell

Michelle Salzman

Mike Giallombardo

Peggy Gossett-Seidman

Rachel Plakon

Ralph Massullo

Randy Fine

Randy Maggard

Robert Brackett

Shane Abbott

Spencer Roach

Stan McClain

Thad Altman

Tom Leek

Tiffany Esposito

Toby Overdorf

Tommy Gregory

Traci Koster

Tyler Sirois

Vicki Lopez

Will Robinson

Lauren Melo

Joel Rudman

Chase Tramont

Mike Caruso

Adam Botana

Bobby Payne

Sam Garrison

Dana Trabulsy

Jim Mooney

Jason Shoaf

Mike Grant

Griff Griffitts

Wyman Duggan

Patt Maney

Alex Andrade

Chip LaMarca

Karen Gonzalez-Pittman

Douglas Bankson

Cyndi Stevenson

House Speaker-designate Daniel Perez

Taylor Yarkosky

Kim Berfield

Paula Stark

Sam Killebrew

Ryan Chamberlain

Webster Barnaby

Tom Fabricio

Republican state Senators

Senate President Kathleen Passidomo

Dennis Baxley

Blaise Ingoglia

Bryan Avila

Clay Yarborough

Colleen Burton

Corey Simon

Danny Burgess

Douglas Broxson

Gayle Harrell

Jay Collins

Jay Trumbull

Jonathan Martin

Keith Perry

Nick DiCeglie

Travis Hutson

Jennifer Bradley

Debbie Mayfield

Jason Brodeur

Alexis Calatayud

Jim Boyd

Tom Wright

Senate President-designate Ben Albritton

Political and business figures

Former U.S. Rep. Francis Rooney

Former U.S. Rep. Tom Rooney

Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross

Those publicly endorsing Donald Trump:

Republican U.S. Representatives

Gus Bilirakis

Vern Buchanan

Byron Donalds

Matt Gaetz

Carlos Giménez

Anna Paulina Luna

Brian Mast

Cory Mills

John Rutherford

Greg Stuebe

Michael Waltz

Republican state Senators

Joe Gruters

Political and business figures

Former Trump advisor Steve Bannon

Former state Rep. Anthony Sabatini

Former U.S. National Security Advisor Michael Flynn

Miami-Dade County Commissioner Kevin Cabrera

Notable figures who haven’t weighed in:

U.S. Senators

Marco Rubio (R)

Rick Scott (R)

Former governors

Former Gov. Jeb Bush (R) 

Republican U.S. Representatives

Neal Dunn

Kat Cammack

Aaron Bean

Bill Posey

Daniel Webster

Scott Franklin

Mario Díaz-Balart

Maria Elvira Salazar

Republican state Senators

Ileana Garcia

Erin Grall 

Ed Hooper

Ana Maria Rodriguez 

Tom Wright

Republican state Representatives

Carolina Amesty

Mike Beltran

Dean Black

David Borrero

Demi Busatta Cabrera

Susan Plasencia

Juan Carlos Porras

Rick Roth

Did we miss anyone? Let us know. Contact Tristan Wood at twood@cityandstatefl.com and follow him on Twitter: @TristanDWood. 

NEXT STORY: A tiff over timber: Disagreement over tree removal riling Broward County community

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