Dem
51
GOP
49
Florida governors may not serve three consecutive terms, so Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) can't run in 2026. He could run in 2030, but that is awfully far down the road. So he doesn't need to be collecting campaign donations for a third term yet, certainly not now. But the governor is selling tickets to his inauguration as governor in January with packages ranging from $50,000 to $1 million. Why would he need so much money now if he can't run for governor again until 2030? Could he have other plans?
Actually, the money isn't for his campaign. It is for the Florida Republican Party. But once he declares he is running for president, expected in the late spring or early summer, he won't be allowed to raise big money for the state party, so this is probably his parting shot.
In addition, he wants to show the world—and one Donald J. Trump in particular—that he is capable of raising vast sums of money. And if he pulls in, say, $50 million, that fundraising prowess might impress Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), the Mikes Pence & Pompeo, and Nikki Haley, just in case they get some funny ideas about running for president one of these days.
What $1 million gets you, in case you were considering ponying up, is a nice seat up front at the inaugural, some tickets to the inaugural ball, and a photo op with the governor. Of course, if your company has (or wants) some business with the state, you get a few minutes to make your pitch as well. There aren't as many events as in 2019. DeSantis doesn't actually like fancy balls and glad handing, but he has to do a certain amount to please the donors.
Actually, he is more of an intellectual, which is to be expected from a guy with degrees from Yale and Harvard Law. He even wrote a book due out in February. It called The Courage to Be Free: Florida's Blueprint for America's Revival. It is all about governing. And not necessarily about governing a state. Actually, it is not really about governing. It is about feeding red meat to the base, with a focus on immigration, woke corporations, and the partisan legacy media. One publisher offered him a $2 million advance, but he backed out when he discovered the publisher's parent company was too woke for his taste. No doubt the final deal was in the seven figures, though. Presidential candidates frequently write books to explain their views. It is not know if DeSantis personally wrote the book or had a ghostwriter. But given his Yale-Harvard background, he is probably capable of writing a book, assuming he had the time. Penn grads, by contrast, are more of a crapshoot on that front. (V)