DeSantis v. Abbott: Texas Republicans Warmly Embrace Florida’s Governor

When Dallas County Republicans head to the swanky Omni Hotel for a fundraiser in early March, they’ll be gathering to hear a prominent conservative governor speak, but not the one you might think.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is set to take the stage as the special guest of the county GOP’s Reagan Day Dinner on March 4. The starting price for individual tickets is a cool $500.

The local Republican Party also reportedly extended an invitation to speak to Lone Star State Gov. Greg Abbott. If he takes them up on the offer, the event will offer two of the country’s most famous conservative governors, both of whom are believed to be considering a bid for the White House in 2024.

But even though many Texas Republicans like Abbott, his popularity here could be getting eclipsed by his counterpart from the Sunshine State.

Two years ago, Abbott helmed what some called the “most conservative session” of the Legislature in the state’s history. Still, the Texas GOP in recent months has turned its attention to DeSantis. The state party’s chairman, Matt Rinaldi, tweeted praise for the Floridian after he trounced his Democratic challenger during the November midterms. (Abbott also easily won reelection.)

“Florida had a wave election. Texas had a very good night. Results elsewhere were mixed,” Rinaldi wrote at the time. “Ron DeSantis and his optimistic brand of bold and unapologetic conservatism is a winning brand and the GOP should take note.”

Election takeaways:
1. Florida had a wave election. Texas had a very good night. Results elsewhere were mixed. Ron DeSantis and his optimistic brand of bold and unapologetic conservatism is a winning brand and the GOP should take note. (1/8)

— Matt Rinaldi (@MattRinaldiTX) November 9, 2022

DeSantis would likely do well if he ran for president, both in Texas and beyond.

Many conservatives still look to former President Donald Trump as the party’s de facto leader, but DeSantis has started to creep up on him in some polls.

One recent survey from business intelligence company Morning Consult suggests that Trump would have an 18-point lead over DeSantis in the 2024 GOP primary. Yet a straw vote taken during a pro-life summit last month indicates that anti-abortion voters would far prefer Florida’s governor over Trump.

What about the Texas GOP, then?

In November, a statewide poll commissioned by the Republican Party of Texas found that 43% of likely GOP primary voters would pick DeSantis and 32% would back the former president. The survey didn’t even mention prominent Texas politicians like Abbott and U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz.

“[Abbott is] probably sitting in the governor’s mansion thinking, ‘Man, I wish I’d thought of that first.'” – Dr. Reed Welch, West Texas A&M University

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It seems that DeSantis is the “hottest new toy for the Republicans,” said Reed Welch, a professor at West Texas A&M University with a doctoral degree in political science. Some conservatives view the Florida governor as a viable Trump alternative who could actually win in 2024.

DeSantis governs a large state and has done well at capturing the media’s attention, including Fox News, he said. It’s possible that Abbott, meanwhile, may not be considered a serious candidate. Take the aforementioned survey from Morning Consult, for instance: Just 1% of potential GOP primary voters say they’d cast their ballot for Texas’ governor.

Welch noted that Abbott and DeSantis “kind of jockey back and forth” when it comes to culture-war-inspired laws, but Florida usually beats Texas to the punch.

“[Abbott is] probably sitting there in the governor’s mansion thinking, ‘Man, I wish I’d thought of that first,’” he said.

Lone-Star legislators are now looking to advance bills that would intensify scrutiny over public-school library books and criminalize gender-affirming care for transgender kids, according to Texas Monthly. The Sunshine State has already been there, passed those.

Plus, Florida’s governor is apparently making Trump a little nervous. Abbott? Not so much.

“Another thing about DeSantis is that he’s clearly a threat to Trump,” Welch added. “Because Trump addresses him and attacks him on things. He’s not attacking Governor Abbott or a lot of other Republicans that might be running.”