(USNewsMag.com) – On Oct. 5, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ campaign announced that he had received the endorsement of 60 Republican and Democratic Florida law enforcement officers in his run for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.
Two of the 60 law enforcement officers, Calhoun County Sheriff Glenn Kimbrel and Gadsden Sheriff Morris Young, are Democrats. According to his campaign, this surpassed the number he received when he ran for governor in 2022. During his 2022 gubernatorial campaign, 59 sheriffs endorsed DeSantis, calling him the “Law and Order” governor.
The endorsements come as DeSantis’ campaign touts his actions as “backing the blue,” which include anti-crime laws that he has signed since first being elected governor of Florida. The DeSantis administration has enacted laws that focus on law enforcement recruitment, support, and retention.
One of the laws DeSantis signed offered a $5,000 bonus to new officers who signed on to work in Florida.
DeSantis supported a program that allows first responders to receive help purchasing their first home in the state, known as the Hometown Heroes down payment assistance program.
Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody stated that if elected president, DeSantis would take the same “action-focused and common-sense approach” and apply it to the nation.
One of the officers endorsing DeSantis, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd, stated that DeSantis’ “unwavering in his support for law enforcement” is why he endorses him for president. Judd stated that the country needs a president who will “bring back law and order to our communities.”
Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey stated that he is endorsing DeSantis because “he has delivered results for law enforcement officers.”
After he received the endorsements, DeSantis returned to Florida to continue his campaign trail in the race for the 2024 Republican nomination for president. Polling currently shows former President Donald Trump with a double-digit lead over DeSantis in all polls. In Florida, polls show Trump with a 35-point lead over DeSantis.
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