Nearly half of the $20 million raised by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis since he launched his 2024 White House campaign in May has come from voting precincts that supported President Biden in 2020, according to a new analysis.
That revelation was one of several in a new Wall Street Journal analysis that also showed a significant number of Trump’s 2020 donors are backing other candidates this time, with DeSantis the main beneficiary. The Journal posited that DeSantis’ success in wooing Trump defectors supports his argument that he is the only candidate who can beat Biden next fall.
Earlier this month, CNN interviewed a group of “lifelong Democrat” mothers from across the country who are supporters of DeSantis because of the policies that he advocated for during the COVID pandemic.
Attorney Julie Hamill said that the group of moms, who met on social media, refer to the governor in a playful way as “Daddy DeSantis.”
“I have never voted for a Republican presidential candidate,” Hamill said. “I have always considered myself very socially liberal. But as we became more vocal on Twitter, we were really demonized.”
Jennifer Sey, the former Brand President of Levis, said that the women gravitated toward DeSantis because “he was very vocal” about “the need to open schools” during the pandemic.
DeSantis is taking a different tack in his approach to fundraising from the ricks and gimmicks that are a staple of political fundraising in both political parties, according to The New York Times. His campaign has pledged to avoid spammy and irritating fundraising tactics, such as desperate pleas and fake deadlines and setting the default for online donations as recurring monthly when the donor only believes that they are making a one-time donation, according to a separate report from The Times. Those who gave to Trump’s 2020 campaign had to “wade through a fine-print disclaimer and manually uncheck a box to opt out.”
The DeSantis team is betting that a more measured approach will lead to long-term gains and help Republicans cut into the money advantage held by Democrats.
Tim Pearce contributed to this article.
Related: CNN Interviews Group Of Influential ‘Lifelong Democrat’ Moms Who Love ‘Daddy DeSantis’