Florida Governor—and potential 2024 Republican presidential candidate—Ron DeSantis will visit Texas next month to help Harris and Dallas counties’ Republican parties raise money at their upcoming fundraising events.

DeSantis will serve as the keynote speaker for the Harris County GOP’s 2023 Lincoln Reagan Dinner on March 3, where general reception tickets start at $250, while VIP reception tickets cost $500.

The next day, DeSantis will visit Dallas County, where he will headline the Dallas County GOP’s 2023 Reagan Day Dinner. At this event, individual tickets total $500, while VIP reception tickets are priced at $1,500.

In a statement announcing DeSantis’ visit, Harris County GOP Chair Cindy Siegel praised him for championing conservative causes in Florida and throughout the United States.

“Alongside Texas, Florida is one of the nation’s most prosperous and free states thanks to Governor Ron DeSantis’ leadership,” said Siegel. “His decisive actions and bold policy agenda have led to historic accomplishments for the Republican Party and the people of Florida. We are thrilled to host Governor DeSantis at this year’s Lincoln Reagan Dinner as he shares his Freedom Blueprint with Harris County!”

With the 2024 presidential election less than two years away, some are speculating that DeSantis will challenge former President Donald Trump for the Republican nomination.

Trump announced his “comeback” campaign for the White House late last year. However, his second presidential attempt received muted reactions from fellow Republicans, leaving room for a potential DeSantis bid.

Over the past year, political pundits and Republican voters have praised DeSantis’ leadership and stance on conservative issues.

DeSantis signed one measure into law that protects students in the third grade and below from classroom discussion about age-inappropriate subjects such as “sexual orientation” and “gender identity.” The law also requires school districts to allow parents access to their children’s student records and to notify parents if school officials provide their children with mental, emotional, or physical health services.

He also promised to ban foreign entities from anti-American countries like China and Iran from conducting business in his state. DeSantis signed an executive order directing Florida’s Department of Management Services to ensure that the state is not vulnerable to hostile activities from “foreign countries of concern.”

Recent polls show that Texas Republican voters would support a DeSantis presidential campaign. A November 2022 poll from the Republican Party of Texas showed that 43 percent of voters would select DeSantis in a presidential primary, while 32 percent picked Trump, making it the first time DeSantis has led the vote.

While Texas Republicans praise DeSantis, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has recently come under fire for failing to pass conservative priority legislation and neglecting the state’s southern border. Although he has promised to promote school choice legislation, prevent foreign ownership of Texas land, and return some of the budget surplus back to Texans, voters will have to wait and see if Abbott follows through in Texas’ ongoing 88th Legislative Session.

Concerned citizens can contact their legislators and Gov. Abbott’s office using Texas Scorecard’s Elected Officials Directory.

Katy Marshall

Katy graduated from Tarleton State University in 2021 after majoring in history and minoring in political science.

RELATED POSTS