Ron DeSantis is unlikely to be the only Florida Republican elected official jumping into the race. Republican Miami Mayor Francis Suarez is expected to enter the presidential fray within the next week. At first glance, having two elected officials from Florida challenge Trump seems self defeating.
But Suarez will be the first truly moderate, urban centered Republican in the race. Suarez publicly announced that he didn’t vote for former President Donald Trump in either of the elections he ran in, even as his state has drifted dramatically towards the GOP’s column in recent years.
The Miami Mayor may have seen an opening after Maryland Governor Larry Hogan decided not to run. Nikki Haley, the only announced candidate against Trump, has demurred when asked to criticize him or explain tangible differences. Suarez sees an opening with her lack of definition, and the lack of any clearly anti Trump figures in the race.
Suarez met with some big name donors including Robert Kraft, New England Patriots owner, and Black Rock CEO Larry Fink. He’d clearly be an establishment pick should he jump in. And he met with former Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker, who, like Larry Hogan, was a moderate blue state GOP governor critical of jump.
Suarez may get some serious pushback as he embarks on his campaign, but he might see that as a selling point. Particularly, he was aggressive in shutting much of Miami down during the pandemic, publicly taking Ron DeSantis to task for not doing the same state wide. As late as May, all non essential business were shut down, and he even issued a stay at home curfew order in the first few weeks of the pandemic. He said in a Business Insider Interview he had “second guesses” for almost all of DeSantis’s covid actions.
Suarez won re-election in Miami, regardless, with 78% of the vote. While he was harsh with covid, his aim to eliminate all taxes in Miami, and his encouragement of Bitcoin development may give him some appeal to purely economic conservatives. Valuetainment will be watching this unusual candidate as he enters the fray.
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