Ron DeSantis Picks Up First Presidential Endorsement From Fellow Governor

 Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt endorsed Ron DeSantis for president on Saturday as the Florida governor campaigned in the state.

The endorsement marks the first endorsement DeSantis has received from a governor. Trump currently has endorsements from two governors — Jim Justice (WV) and Henry McMaster (SC).

“Governor DeSantis is a strong conservative and principled leader, and I am proud to endorse him for president,” Stitt said in a statement. “As fellow Governors during COVID, DeSantis did not surrender states’ rights and individual liberties over to groupthink. In this election cycle, Oklahomans will remember that DeSantis was one of the few who never backed down in the face of adversity, because DeSantis operated with dogged conviction and shared our values for a limited government and free country.”

Stitt called DeSantis a “proven leader,” adding that he “boldly delivered results for the people of Florida that laid the groundwork for a booming economy, an education system focused on student outcomes, and better infrastructure for working families.”

“To deliver these same results all across America and unwind the disastrous liberal mandates of the Biden administration is going to demand a candidate who can win and keep winning as a two-term president,” Stitt continued. “I am confident that leader is Ron DeSantis.”

Stitt’s endorsement comes after 20 Oklahoma state legislators and former U.S. Congressman Jim Bridenstine, who also served as NASA Administrator under Trump and was a member of the House Freedom Caucus, endorsed DeSantis this week.

 

The 20 endorsements included Senator Lonnie Paxton (SD 23), Senator Chris Kidd (SD 31), Senator Roland Pederson (SD 19), Senator John Michael Montgomery (SD 32), Senator Brent Howard (SD 38), Majority Floor Leader Representative Jon Echols (HD 90), Deputy Majority Leader Representative Trey Caldwell (HD 63), Deputy Floor Leader Representative John Pfeiffer (HD 38), Representative Mike Osburn (HD 81), Representative Neil Hays (HD 13), Representative Ryan Martinez (HD 39), Representative Nick Archer (HD 55), Representative Anthony Moore (HD 57), Representative Dell Kerbs (HD 26), Representative Mark Lepak (HD 9), Representative Josh West (HD 5), Representative Chris Kannady (HD 91), Representative Chad Caldwell (HD 40), Representative Terry O’Donnell (HD 23), and Representative Chris Sneed (HD 14).