Former President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis will go toe-to-toe in a battle of the fundraisers at September’s California Republican Party convention in Orange County, the party announced Wednesday.
The move comes after state Republican Party officials recalibrated the award of California delegates to presidential contenders for the March 5, 2024 primary.
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Driving the news: California GOP officials announced Tuesday that Trump would kick off the convention and serve as the keynote speaker for a lunch fundraiser on Friday, Sept. 29 in Anaheim.
- Wednesday, party officials announced DeSantis will follow Trump as the keynoter for the party’s dinner fundraiser that evening.
What they’re saying: California GOP chair Jessica Millan Patterson lauded the top Republican contenders for the presidential nomination, referring to their attendance as a boon for the state party.
- “We are thrilled to welcome President Trump back to the CAGOP convention stage for the first time since our 2016 convention,” Patterson said. “I look forward to President Trump speaking with our delegates about his plans to move our country forward.”
- “As Californians struggle under the weight of Democrats’ failed one-party rule, Governor DeSantis has show how a state can thrive under responsible, common sense, conservative leadership,” she said. “We look forward to welcoming him to the Golden State to speak with our convention attendees about his plans to take his Florida success all the way to the White House.”
