DeSantis campaign reaps thousands in Utah 'Pioneer Day BBQ' Fundraiser

 

18 views Jul 21, 2023 #kutv #saltlakecity #news

Hopeful presidential candidate Ron DeSantis swooped into Utah, taking reporters’ questions as he was flanked by supportive legislators at the Capitol, then raising campaign money in Utah County at a private, invitation-only fundraiser. The donation levels were $6,600 per person for a VIP reception, and $1,000 each for a "Pioneer Day BBQ." 2News was outside the venue, a home near the mountains, where we were told DeSantis held a breakfast fundraiser several months ago. “We’ve been impressed with the way he’s run the budget in Florida,” said Janine Miner, who attended the fundraiser with her husband, Curtis. FULL STORY: https://kutv.com/news/politics/florid...

Utah Senate president endorses DeSantis during campaign stop

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by Daniel Woodruff, KUTV

Fri, July 21st 2023, 5:08 PM PDT

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Utah Senate president endorses DeSantis during campaign stop on July 21, 2023. (KUTV)

Utah Senate president endorses DeSantis during campaign stop

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis received the support of one of Utah’s top politicians Friday during a campaign stop in the Beehive state.Senate President Stuart Adams

KUTV·Daniel Woodruff·09:06 PM 

SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis received the support of one of Utah’s top politicians Friday during a campaign stop in the Beehive state.
Senate President Stuart Adams (R-Layton) was among more than a dozen lawmakers who endorsed DeSantis during a press event at the Gold Room at the Utah State Capitol.
“I’ve seen what he’s done in Florida, and Utah has the best economy in the nation, and so does Florida,” Adams told KUTV 2News. “I saw how he handled COVID. Utah handled COVID the best in the nation. So did Florida.”

MORE: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to speak at Utah State Capitol

Asked if DeSantis can beat former President Donald Trump, Adams said, “I think, when people get to know him, he deserves a chance. I think he can.”

• But DeSantis is polling significantly behind Trump in national polls. 
• In Utah, a new Deseret News/Hinckley Institute of Politics poll found Trump had 29 percent support in the Beehive state, while DeSantis had 24 percent.

Other candidates – including former Vice President Mike Pence, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, and former Wyoming Congresswoman Liz Cheney – polled far behind that with just single-digit support in Utah.

•  The Associated Press reported earlier this week his campaign let go some paid staffers in an effort to cut campaign expenses.

But supporters of DeSantis in Utah are optimistic about his candidacy.

“I really think [DeSantis is] my party’s best chance to win the White House back in 2024,” said Sen. Todd Weiler (R-Woods Cross), who organized the event at the Capitol, adding that there’s still “plenty of time” for DeSantis to make up ground in the polls.
Other prominent Utah Republicans have yet to throw their full support behind the Florida governor.
“I haven’t endorsed Ron DeSantis. I don’t know where I’m at yet,” said Rep. Mike Schultz (R-Hooper), the Utah House majority leader. “The Republican Party has a lot of great candidates right now, and I’m excited about that.”

• DeSantis met with Gov. Spencer Cox earlier Friday, but Cox himself did not stand with his fellow governor at the press event.

Utah Senate president endorses DeSantis during campaign stop on July 21, 2023. (KUTV)

“As chairman of the National Governors Association, Gov. Cox has been vocal about supporting candidates who are Republican governors – including Gov. DeSantis – because governors are executives who get things done,” said Cox spokesperson Jennifer Napier-Pearce in a statement

Asked by reporters about the education guidelines on slavery, DeSantis said he wasn't involved in creating them and they were not intended to be political.

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• From the State Capitol, DeSantis was scheduled to travel to Utah County for a fundraiser Friday evening.