ORLANDO, Fla. — A who’s who of the Republican Party will descend on Florida this week to audition for the leader of the conservative movement heading into the 2024 presidential election.
The annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) is considered a critical audition of sorts for Republicans vying for a spot on the ballot. The list so far includes 2016 favorites and some newcomers.
The party’s two top stars are bookending this year’s event.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is running for a second term but also is thought to be considering a presidential run, will address CPAC on Thursday, the opening day of the four-day conference.
Former President Donald Trump, who commands a significant chunk of support among the party’s voters and has publicly teased another White House bid, will address the CPAC crowd during prime time on Saturday night.
Mr. Trump and Mr. DeSantis have denied any rivalry, but the CPAC Chairman Matt Schlapp knocked down speculation that Mr. DeSantis was pushed out of a key time slot, perhaps to assuage a competitive Mr. Trump.
“This is completely wrong,” Mr. Schlapp said on Twitter. “We have asked Gov DeSantis to help us open up CPAC on the opening day for two years now. He is welcoming everyone with me and will be delivering a stemwinder of a speech.”
Presidential race watchers will pay close attention to how the two men perform in the annual CPAC straw poll. The results will be released Sunday.
Mr. Trump won the straw poll in a landslide last year, but Mr. DeSantis placed second and picked up two-thirds of all CPAC voters on a second ballot that did not include Mr. Trump.
For the second year in a row, former Vice President Mike Pence won’t attend, but other potential candidates will be vying for conservative support.
Attendees on Thursday will hear from Sen. Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican and staunch conservative who remains popular with the CPAC crowd. Mr. Cruz was the last man standing among the Republican candidates Mr. Trump defeated in the 2016 presidential primary race and is likely considering another bid for the White House.
Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, who also ran for president in 2016 and is seen as a possible 2024 contender, will speak to the CPAC crowd Friday.
Time on the CPAC stage has been allotted to Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri, another possible 2024 candidate, as well as Sens. John Kennedy of Louisiana and Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee.
The event has long been considered a place for rising political stars to try out before their party’s most conservative audience.
For the second year in a row, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo plans to attend CPAC. He will speak on Friday.
A slimmed-down Mr. Pompeo has made himself more visible in the past year after declining a bid for the U.S. Senate. That led to speculation that he intends to run for president.
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem will speak at CPAC for the second year in a row. She won a standing ovation after her 2021 debut speech criticizing Dr. Anthony Fauci and the lockdowns imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The speeches on the main stage are only part of the event. The conference will showcase emerging conservative priorities relating to education, illegal immigration, media bias, election integrity, cancel culture and foreign policy.
One breakout session will address the scandal swirling around Hunter Biden, whose incriminating laptop emails suggested he was using his father’s office to win lucrative business deals involving China and other entities and was planning a 10% cut “for the big guy.”
The mood at CPAC is likely to be more celebratory than in 2021, when the Republican Party was thrust to the sidelines by Democrats who had just won control of the White House and Congress.
Polls suggest the Republicans are on track to win back the gavel in the House and the Senate in the midterm elections. The conference will address some of the reasons they think the party is on course to win back voters in November.
This year’s CPAC theme, “Awake, Not Woke,” takes aim at COVID-19 lockdowns and mandates along with critical race theory and other teachings that have infiltrated schools and businesses.
“It’s all coming to a head, and CPAC is the gateway to the next round of elections,” CPAC spokeswoman Regina Bratton told The Washington Times. “This year, we have dedicated it to the awakening of America.”
• Susan Ferrechio can be reached at sferrechio@washingtontimes.com.
• Kerry Picket can be reached at kpicket@washingtontimes.com.
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