MARATHON COUNTY, WI (WLUK) – Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis hinted at a presidential run while visiting Wisconsin Saturday.
He spoke at an event hosted by the Republican Party of Marathon County, touting what he’s done in his home state, and what he possibly could do for America and it’s dairy land.
But some say DeSantis isn’t the right fit for America or Wisconsin.
While some Wisconsin Republicans are showing enthusiasm for the Sunshine State’s governor, others are having different thoughts.
“I think Ron DeSantis is very intelligent, level-headed,” said Peggy Nichols, a Wisconsinite at the Republican Party of Marathon County’s Lincoln Day Dinner event Saturday evening.
“I come bearing good news and you may say what good news is there? Republicans have had a series of disappointing election results, not just here in Wisconsin, but really across the country,” said DeSantis. “So, what’s the good news? The good news is the State of Florida and what we’ve achieved shows Republicans can win again.”
“I like DeSantis okay, I think the country was in much better hands when Donald Trump was President and I’m ready for him to be there again,” said an event protestor Saturday.
The central Wisconsin county gave 58% of its vote to Trump in 2020.
DeSantis is expected to announce his run for presidency sometime this month.
“We are proud of all that we’ve accomplished in the state of Florida, but I can tell you this: I have only begun to fight,” said DeSantis.
Ben Wikler, the chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, released a statement ahead of DeSantis’ visit to the state:
While Ron DeSantis may be able to sell his MAGA-without-Trump pitch to the GOP’s biggest donors, here in Wisconsin, that cheese curd don’t squeak. In Florida, the DeSantis blueprint has put wealthy special interests and his own extremist, anti-freedom, pro-plutocrat political agenda ahead of working people—the exact blueprint that doomed Scott Walker in 2018, Donald Trump in 2020, Tim Michels in 2022, and Dan Kelly in 2020 and 2023.
Ron DeSantis’ MAGA agenda is all wrong for Wisconsin. As a member of Congress, he called for cuts to Social Security and Medicare. As governor, DeSantis has steadfastly refused to expand Medicaid, signed legislation allowing anyone to carry a concealed weapon without a permit, and attacked teachers and kids.
On his last trip to our state, Ron DeSantis didn’t even know how to spell ‘Lambeau.’ This time around will be no better for him. DeSantis represents precisely the extremism Wisconsinites have decisively rejected in election after election.
“For someone who’s not even a declared candidate yet, to see 500 people turn out in Wausau, kind of central Wisconsin, I think is a pretty big signal of the amount of support he could have here in Wisconsin,” said Chad Doran, a Republican strategist who’s worked on multiple GOP campaigns in Wisconsin.
Doran believes DeSantis is the perfect candidate.
“He provides a very different approach to conservative issues than President Trump has in the past and is currently at the moment,” said Doran. “I think he’s a much more palatable version of conservative values that President Trump presents.”
According to a recent CBS News-YouGov poll, Trump is leading the GOP primary field with 58% of the vote, followed by DeSantis with 22%.
“I think they both have very strong points,” said Steven Karlin, Communications Chairman for the Republican Party of Winnebago County.
Karlin says he’s happy DeSantis came and visited.
“The more the merrier and that’s what it’s about is some choices and that’s what a primary is about for the people to decide who they think would be best.”
In his opinion, he says there’s a big fan base out there for former president Trump.
“The issue that he has is he’s got a big negative out there too, some people just hate him, they just don’t like him. And he’s pretty polarized in that way, you know, he’s got people that love him people that don’t like him, and the issue for us is to get through the primary and pick the person that can win the election, not just win the primary.”
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