Ron DeSantis will travel to Butler County in April as he considers presidential run

Scott Wartman, Cincinnati Enquirer
·2 min read
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Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, shown here during a speech March 5, will come to West Chester on April 13.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, shown here during a speech March 5, will come to West Chester on April 13.
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Florida governor and possible Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis will speak next month in Butler County.

The Butler County Republican Party announced on Wednesday DeSantis will headline the party's Lincoln Day Event at the Savannah Center in West Chester on April 13.

"This is obviously very exciting for the Butler County Republican Party," party spokesman Joe Statzer said.

While DeSantis hasn't officially announced his candidacy, he's making moves toward a campaign. DeSantis on Friday will make his debut appearance in Iowa, where the caucuses are the first contest in the presidential primary.

He's also scheduled trips around the country to promote his book, "The Courage to Be Free: Florida's Blueprint for America's Revival."

Polls show he's a leading challenger to former President Donald Trump in the growing Republican Primary field. A Real Clear Politics average of presidential polls shows Trump with 45% of the vote and DeSantis second with 29%.

DeSantis will be speaking in Republican-friendly territory. Trump won Butler County in 2020 with 61% of the vote.

So far, three Republicans have announced a run for president– Trump, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and Cincinnati native and biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy. Ramaswamy will speak to Hamilton County Republicans on Saturday at the Northeast Hamilton County Republican Club's pancake breakfast in Sharonville.

DeSantis saw his national profile rise during the COVID-19 pandemic as he fought restrictions and shutdowns. He's remained in the headlines with a series of controversial actions, including sending planes of migrants to Martha's Vineyard and signing into law restrictions on the discussion of gender identity and sexual orientation in public schools. The latter led to a very public fight with the Walt Disney Company.

For information on tickets to the DeSantis event, visit butlercountygop.org

Enquirer columnist Dan Sewell contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Ron Desantis will speak to Butler County Republicans in April