DeSantis's Top Reelection Donors Revealed: Who Owns Florida Leadership?

Photo byPhoto by: Gage Skidmore

Ron DeSantis's reelection victory was nothing short of spectacular.

The governor won in a landslide re-election in November and was supported by almost 66,000 donations rolled in from across the country.

The Friends of Ron DeSantis committee raised $170,926,346 to support his re-election.

The record includes donations and checks received from November 2, 2018 — the first-day contributions would support initiatives beyond the Governor's 2018 initial election— until November 3, 2022, the last day the committee could cash checks and use them to support DeSantis' reelection this year.

Associations and individuals

Seven donors contributed more than $1 million to DeSantis' reelection.

The Republican Governors Association contributed the most money to the campaign, contributing $20,950,000 to support one of the most important Governors in the country.

Robert Bigelow, hotel and aerospace entrepreneur, was DeSantis’ biggest individual donor. He donated $10 million in July this year. Biglow probably saw an opportunity here. Florida serves as home to the country’s major spaceport, Kennedy Space Center.

Hedge fund manager Kenneth Griffin donated $5 million to the DeSantis campaign. The majority owner of Citadel said he is relocating America’s largest hedge fund from Chicago to Miami.

A major financial force in conservative politics, the Club For Growth PAC, donated $2 million to the DeSantis campaign in August this year.

As it increased its influence in Tallahassee, the Seminole Tribe of Florida also donated $2 million. The Native American tribe has developed into the state's gambling behemoth.

Walter Buckley, Jr., a philanthropist in Palm Beach County, gave DeSantis $1.25 million. According to a recent article in The Washington Post, Buckley and his wife Marjorie are among the top 50 political donors in the nation.

Lastly, David MacNeil, CEO of WeatherTech, donated just over $1.1 million to the DeSantis campaign over five installments starting in May 2021.

DeSantis raised almost 10x more than its rival, Charlie Crist. And he broke the gubernatorial fundraising record in the meantime.

What do you think about Florida donors?

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