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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in Hillsdale, Mich., on April 6, 2023.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in Hillsdale, Mich., on April 6.Chris duMond / Getty Images file

DeSantis draws up-for-grabs GOP lawmakers to D.C. event

Several elected officials who have not made a 2024 pick are joining DeSantis endorsers at an event in Washington next week.

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A nonprofit group supporting a potential presidential bid by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is hosting him for an event in Washington next week.

A flyer advertising the event bills it as a "meet and greet and policy discussion," featuring DeSantis alongside Utah GOP Sen. Mike Lee and Republican Reps. Darin LaHood of Illinois, Mike Gallagher of Wisconsin, Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Chip Roy of Texas.

The list of lawmakers appearing alongside DeSantis, one of the GOP's leading 2024 hopefuls, is notable. Roy and Massie have previously endorsed DeSantis for president, even though he hasn't formally announced a presidential campaign.

a flyer to meet special guest ron desantis at an event in dc
A flyer promoting a Washington event featuring Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Utah Sen. Mike Lee and GOP Reps. Darin Lahood, Mike Gallagher, Chip Roy and Thomas Massie.

Gallagher, LaHood and Lee haven't yet endorsed anyone in the Republican presidential primary.

Lee and LaHood both accepted endorsements from Trump in the 2022 midterms, but LaHood has been silent so far on whether he'd support Trump's presidential bid in 2024.

Last year, facing a formidable challenge from an independent candidate for Senate in Utah, Lee tried to distance himself from Trump and the GOP.

DeSantis also got involved in Lee's race in 2022, cutting a TV ad for him and telling Utah voters, "To get America on the right path forward, we need a Republican majority in the Senate and that's why I'm proud to endorse Mike Lee."

The group sponsoring next week's event, And To The Republic, is a non-profit group that has sponsored some of DeSantis' events in other states this year, Politico reports. The group's status as a 501(c)(4) issue advocacy organization means it does not have to disclose its donors.