OPINION:
Second-quarter fundraising numbers show Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ presidential campaign outpaced everyone else in the 2024 GOP primary race with $20.1 million raised. In comparison, former President Donald Trump’s campaign brought in $17.7 million, but had $22.5 million cash on hand for the election.
While the DeSantis campaign had a larger fundraising haul, it ended the quarter with just over $12 million cash on hand for the election. Plus, much of the funds came from the start of his much-anticipated campaign in May. He has a high number of high-capacity donors who maxed out to his efforts, with more than $3 million of his cash on hand being restricted to the general election.
I know the challenges of starting strong and spending too much money early in the race. The Florida governor needs to adjust his campaign now to slow its burn rate or he will not have enough funds to make a run throughout the primary season.
Jeff Roe and the others connected to the Never Back Down super PAC supporting Mr. DeSantis are good. They helped Sen. Ted Cruz ride as long as he did in 2016. The Cruz campaign was lean and relied on help from outside the official campaign to carry the message.
The Never Back Down super PAC raised more than $30 million, and Mr. DeSantis’ Florida political committee transferred $82.5 million to the federal PAC. Much of this is being spent in states with early contests.
Mr. DeSantis has the financial support of big-dollar donors needed to win, but so did former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush. With that in mind, he needs to go bold.
Eight years ago, my name was widely known by voters for my aggressive efforts to fight and win against big government’s special interests. Conservatives loved our commonsense reforms and saw they worked in a blue state.
A solid record as governor, however, is not enough to ensure victory on the national stage. The biggest mistake I made was listening to Washington-based consultants telling me to run on my record.
Looking back, it seems odd, as I never followed conventional wisdom — winning in the county with the largest number of Democratic votes in the state for the executive position and then challenging a two-term Democratic governor (who eventually dropped out) in a state that had not gone Republican for president since 1984. Voters want leaders who are willing to take reasonable risks.
Mr. DeSantis needs to shake things up and propose some bold ideas. Sure, he can talk about his record, but only as an example of why he is capable of enacting bold things as president.
Mr. Trump certainly did that eight years ago. From the moment he opened his mouth at the first presidential primary debate in Cleveland, he took command of the discussion. Every voter knew he was going to build the wall, drain the swamp, and prevent radical Islamic terrorists from coming to America.
Incidentally, this is why I believe it would be a mistake for Mr. Trump to bypass the first debate in Milwaukee. He is a prizefighter. He belongs in the ring defending his title. Conventional wisdom might suggest staying away to protect his lead, but he has never been a conventional candidate.
A strong performance by Mr. Trump in the first few debates could shore up the nomination for him. Conversely, a dominant performance by Mr. DeSantis or one of the other candidates on a stage without the former president might shift the polls.
Either way, Mr. DeSantis must go bold. If successful, this could help him in both the polls and fundraising. Voters want big ideas.
The Trump campaign understands this, as it has mastered small-dollar donors. His campaign report shows that $14.6 million of the donations come from those giving less than $200. The DeSantis campaign reports only $2.8 million from those donors. That is an important distinction, as lower-dollar donors can give repeatedly.
The Florida governor continues to provide solid performance in interviews and forums. In the end, the first presidential primary debate stage will introduce him to his largest audience yet. He needs to be prepared to push a bold agenda that inspires conservatives to vote for him and donate to his campaign.
Eight years ago, I shocked the political world by getting out of the race after the second debate. I joke that we got out before I got a nickname. Truth be told, we saw where the momentum was going, and it was to Mr. Trump.
The same might be true in 2024. For Mr. DeSantis to alter that momentum will require a lean campaign to last through the primary and caucus election process. Equally important is a willingness to take risks and propose bold ideas that capture the attention and support of the voters.
• Scott Walker is president of Young America’s Foundation and served as the 45th governor of Wisconsin from 2011 to 2019.
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