佛罗里达州州长罗恩·德桑蒂斯周日访问了南加州，在自己的后院抨击了州长加文·纽瑟姆共和党初选战2024年之前。
“我知道你们在这里遇到了很多问题，但你们的州长非常关心我们在佛罗里达州的所作所为，所以我想我必须来一趟，”德桑蒂斯在罗纳德·里根总统图书馆的空军一号馆对一千多名观众发表讲话，赢得了热烈的掌声。
但是并不是每个人都热烈欢迎。西米谷警察局周日表示，图书馆员工在清晨时分发现入口标牌上有黑色喷漆，上面写着“罗恩·德法西斯特”。
当局表示，员工们能够在德桑蒂斯到达之前清除掉油漆。然而，不久之后，几十名抗议者走上图书馆前的人行道，抗议他的演讲。
德桑蒂斯访问金州之前，他在得克萨斯州为哈里斯和达拉斯县共和党筹款两天，距离超级星期二正好一年，届时这两个州的选民将前往投票站为总统候选人投票2024年总统候选人。
佛罗里达州州长罗恩·德桑蒂斯在南加州罗纳德·里根总统图书馆空军一号馆的人群前讲话。
尼克·克尔/ABC新闻
虽然德桑蒂斯还没有正式加入共和党提名的角逐，但他被许多人普遍认为是潜在的热门人选。上周公布的加州大学伯克利分校/洛杉矶时报民意调查显示，他在明年的加州初选中领先前总统唐纳德·特朗普8个百分点。
在周六抵达前发表的一份声明中，纽瑟姆讽刺地欢迎德桑蒂斯来到“真正的自由之州”。
“加州居民比那些不幸有你当州长的人更安全、更健康、更繁荣，”他说。“哦，对了，你要被川普熏死了。”
在他的演讲中，德桑蒂斯借此机会将他的州和加州，以及其他民主党州如纽约和伊利诺伊州进行了鲜明的对比。
德桑蒂斯说:“我认为这要追溯到感染了左派和所有其他机构的这种唤醒意识病毒。”“我的意思是，想想他们治理国家的方式。他们把意识形态之类的东西放在了里根总统所代表的、大多数美国人所信仰的、久经考验的真实原则之上。”
在西米谷的演讲结束后，德桑蒂斯前往南方的奥兰治县，在威斯汀阿纳海姆度假村的闭门会议上向900多名捐助者发表了讲话。
“我们从这次活动中筹集的资金超过了奥兰治县共和党历史上任何一次夜间筹款活动，”该县党主席弗雷德·惠特克说。"所以你可以说，人们对德桑蒂斯州长的兴趣高得惊人."
奥兰治县和西米谷等地区为德桑蒂斯等潜在的共和党候选人提供了充足的机会，在2024年之前与该国最富有和最有权势的共和党成员接触。
“我们是共和党捐款人最多的县;就市区县而言，我们仍然是共和党最具竞争力的县;惠特克说:“我们控制了奥兰治县三分之二以上的民选办公室，但我们位于洛杉矶盆地的中心。“我认为，如果你有兴趣竞选总统，那么你需要与奥兰治县的共和党捐赠者谈谈。你需要和奥兰治县的共和党选民谈谈。”
根据OpenSecrets的数据，在2022年的州长连任竞选中，德桑蒂斯仅从加州就获得了近400万美元的收入，超过了德克萨斯州等更保守的州。尽管加州是自由派的大本营，但它可能会在共和党总统初选中发挥重要作用。
在它的赢家通吃地位和它提供的代表人数之间-比任何其他州都多-加利福尼亚州对任何希望在可能拥挤的共和党场中度过超级星期二的候选人来说都是至关重要的。
惠特克告诉美国广播公司新闻说:“加利福尼亚州将2024年总统大选的初选从6月份移到3月，将会有一个与2016年截然不同的动态。”。“2016年，当初选发生时，提名已经决定了。超级星期二就在它的中心。”
Ron DeSantis visits Southern California 1 year away from Super Tuesday
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis visited Southern California on Sunday, taking swipes at Gov. Gavin Newsom in his own backyard amid a wideningRepublican Primary battleahead of 2024.
"I know you guys got a lot of problems out here, but your governor is very concerned about what we're doing in Florida, so I figured I had to come by," DeSantis said, speaking before a crowd of over a thousand people at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library’s Air Force One Pavilion and drawing considerable applause.
But it was not a warm welcome from everyone. The Simi Valley Police Department said Sunday that library employees discovered black spray paint on an entrance sign reading "Ron DeFascist" in the early morning hours.
Authorities said employees were able to remove the paint before DeSantis' arrival. However, soon after, a large contingent of several dozen protesters took to the sidewalks in front of the library to protest his speech.
DeSantis' visit to the Golden State follows two days spent in Texas fundraising for the Harris and Dallas County Republican Parties and exactly one year away from Super Tuesday when voters in both states will hit the polls to cast their ballot for a2024 presidential nominee.
While DeSantis has not officially entered the race for the Republican nomination, he is widely viewed as a potential favorite by many. A recent UC Berkeley/LA Times poll released last week showed him leading former President Donald Trump by eight points in California's primary next year.
In a statement issued on Saturday before his arrival, Newsom sarcastically welcomed DeSantis to the "real freedom state."
"California residents are safer, healthier and more prosperous than those unfortunate enough to have you as their governor," he said. "Oh, by the way, you're going to get smoked by Trump."
During his speech, DeSantis took the opportunity to draw a sharp contrast between his state and California, as well as other Democratic states like New York and Illinois.
"I think it goes back to this woke mind virus that's infected the left and all these other institutions," DeSantis said. "I mean, think about the way they have governed the states. They put things like woke ideology over the tried and true principles that President Reagan stood for and that most Americans believe in."
Following his speech in Simi Valley, DeSantis traveled south to Orange County to speak to over 900 donors at the Westin Anaheim Resort in a closed-door event.
"We raised more money from this event than we've raised on any one-night fundraising event in the history of the Orange County Republican Party," Fred Whitaker, chair of the county party, said. "So you could say the interest for Governor DeSantis is off the charts."
Areas like Orange County and Simi Valley offer ample opportunity for potential Republican candidates like DeSantis to rub elbows with some of the country's wealthiest and most powerful GOP members ahead of 2024.
"We are the county with the most Republican donors; we're the county that still, as far as urban counties, is the most competitive for Republicans; we control over two-thirds of all the elected offices in Orange County and yet we're in the heart of the LA basin," Whitaker said. "I think if you have any interest in running for president, then you need to talk to Orange County Republican donors. You need to talk to Orange County Republican voters."
According to OpenSecrets, DeSantis brought in nearly $4 million alone from California amid his gubernatorial reelection battle in 2022, outpacing even more conservative states like Texas. Although California is a liberal stronghold, it could wield substantial weight in a GOP presidential primary.
Between its winner take all status and the number of delegates it offers — more than any other state -- California could be critical to any candidate hoping to make it through Super Tuesday amid a potentially crowded GOP field.
"California, by moving its primary from June to March for the 2024 presidential election, is going to have a much different dynamic than there was in 2016," Whitaker told ABC News. "In 2016, by the time the primary happened, the nomination had already been decided. Super Tuesday's right in the heart of it."
