In 2016, his bid for the U.S. Senate to replace Marco Rubio was cut short when Rubio himself jumped in for re-election. While in the running, DeSantis out-fundraised all of his opponents and secured the support of several conservative groups, including the powerful Americans for Prosperity group.
After dropping out to regain his congressional seat, DeSantis maintained his $3 million war chest and likely retains his statewide grassroots machine to some extent.
Aside from fundraising, DeSantis also enjoys a name identification advantage over other potential Putnam-challengers due to his frequent appearance on the Fox News Channel and large national profile. It is also for this reason that he would likely, upon securing the Republican nomination, receive the support of President Donald Trump against the Democratic candidate.
Florida Governor Rick Scott, the presumptive GOP nominee for U.S. Senate in 2018, is unlikely to endorse any candidate in the primary. However, Governor Scott has been known to show favor to conservatives over moderates in Republican primaries, such as Tallahassee attorney Mary Thomas for the U.S. House of Representatives in 2016 over Panama City retired urologist Neal Dunn.
