Ron DeSantis enters US presidential race in bid to beat Trump to Republican nomination

24 May 2023, 21:57

Ron DeSantis has entered the 2024 US presidential race, as he looks to take on rival Donald Trump for the Republican nomination.

The 44-year-old revealed he is officially running on Wednesday in a declaration of candidacy with the US federal electoral commission.

He is expected to make an announcement at an event on Twitter with its owner Elon Musk.

Mr Musk stressed that he was not planning to make an endorsement but wants to use the social media platform as a town square.

Mr DeSantis, who is considered to be Trump's strongest rival, joins an already crowded Republican contest as the party looks to decide whether it will stick with the former president in 2024 as it looks to win back the White House from Joe Biden.

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Former vice president to Donald Trump Mike Pence is also expected to announce he will run to be the GOP pick in the coming weeks, with other big names including UN ambassador Nikki Haley, and South Carolina Senator have already joined the race.

Florida has passed various so-called anti-woke laws during Mr DeSantis' time as governor, including ban on critical race theory in classrooms and the much criticised "don't say gay" bill, which aims to restrict schools from teaching students about gender issues and sexual orientation.

Restrictions on abortion have also been brought in, after the Supreme Court's struck down Roe v Wade, introducing a ban on people having abortions after six weeks.

Mr DeSantis has been consistently behind Mr Trump, according to recent polling, with some signs that the former president's lead may be increasing.