Conservatives at the national level cheered U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., announcing that he is considering running for the U.S. Senate in 2016 to replace U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., who is running for president and encouraged him to enter the race. DeSantis said on Tuesday he was exploring a Senate run.
"If DeSantis decides to run for Senate, it would be a recruitment coup for conservatives in the critical state of Florida, said Daniel Horowitz of Conservative Review on Tuesday. DeSantis would bring the trust and respect of the conservative grassroots to the race due to his strong record as a fiscal, social, and national defense conservative.
"Not only has DeSantis been a reliable voice on the critical issues of our time, such as immigration, Obamacare, and crony capitalism, but his strong government reform agenda would also have a strong appeal in a general election as well," Horowitz added.
DeSantis scored high with Conservative Review, getting an A- grade from it. He also scored good marks with conservative group FreedomWorks and that organization encouraged him to run on Tuesday.
With Sen. Rubio declining to run for re-election, it is crucial that conservatives join together to replace Sen. Rubio with a committed conservative with the courage to fight for limited government and free-market principles, said Adam Brandon, a spokesman for the group. Congressman DeSantis is exactly the kind of courageous conservative we need in the U.S. Senate. DeSantis has been a leader on everything from government reform to eliminating Common Core regulations to ending Congresss Obamacare exemption, and FreedomWorks activists hope he will run for the Senate in Florida.
The Senate Conservatives Fund (SCF) is also getting behind DeSantis. Former Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, the president of the SCF, said on Tuesday he hopes DeSantis runs for the Senate.
"With Sen. Rubio leaving the Senate next year, it's extremely important for conservatives in Florida to elect a principled leader to replace him, Cuccinelli said on Tuesday. We're looking at all of the candidates, but if Congressman Ron DeSantis decides to run, we will seriously consider supporting his campaign. Ron has a strong conservative record in the House, he listens to the grassroots in Florida, and has the ability to win this important race."
David Bossie, the president and chairman of Citizens United PAC, also wants DeSantis to run for the Senate.
Citizens United Political Victory Fund welcomes the reports that Congressman Ron DeSantis is strongly considering a campaign for U.S. Senate in Florida, Bossie said on Tuesday. As longtime supporters of Congressman DeSantis, we know him to be a principled constitutional conservative leader and dedicated public servant.
When CUPVF endorsed DeSantis for the U.S. House during the primary in 2012, we stated: As a veteran, Ron DeSantis lives his life by a creed that embodies the founding principles of our nation As a true conservative, Ron will bring bold leadership to Washington at a time when our beloved country so desperately needs it. I can state categorically that Congressman DeSantis has lived up to those words during his service in the U.S. House and that means a lot to us, Bossie added. If Ron DeSantis decides to throw his hat in the ring for U.S. Senate, CUPVF will be with him every step of the way and will dedicate substantial resources for this effort.
According to National Journal, other right-of-center groups including the Club for Growth and the Madison Project are also lining up behind DeSantis, encouraging the congressman to enter the Senate race.
DeSantis faces a growing field of candidates. U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy, D-Fla., jumped in last month while U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson, D-Fla., has left the door open to challenging him in the Democratic primary. On the Republican side, former Florida Senate President Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, said on Tuesday he was looking at running. U.S. Rep. Tom Rooney, R-Fla., is also looking at entering the Senate race while U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Fla., and U.S. Rep. Curt Clawson, R-Fla., are also possible candidates. So are former U.S. Sen. George LeMieux, R-Fla., Lt. Gov. Carlos Lopez-Cantera and former Florida House Speaker Will Weatherford.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or follow him on Twitter: @KevinDerbySSN
