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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to make a fundraising stop in Utah this month

DeSantis is seen as a possible 2024 GOP presidential contender.

(Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune) Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis will visit Utah later this month for a high-dollar fundraising event.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, rumored to be mulling a run for the GOP presidential nomination in 2024, is coming to Utah later this month for a high-dollar fundraiser.

DeSantis is scheduled to appear at a pair of private fundraising events on July 20, according to an invitation obtained by The Salt Lake Tribune — a breakfast in Salt Lake City followed by a reception in Park City that afternoon. A breakfast ticket along with a photo opportunity is $2,500 per person. Breakfast alone is $500 per person. Tickets to the reception are $12,500 each.

Event organizers declined to comment, hoping to keep the event quiet.

Although he is not involved in the planning or preparations for his visit, Utah GOP Chair Carson Jorgensen says he would be happy to welcome DeSantis to the state.

“Utah Republicans will always welcome a great conservative governor and possible presidential hopeful to our state,” Jorgensen said.

DeSantis visited Utah last summer, where he mocked COVID-19 restrictions during his speech at the American Legislative Exchange Council’s annual meeting in Salt Lake City.

The Florida governor has been mentioned as a possible rival to Donald Trump for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. Polls suggest DeSantis would be the frontrunner if Trump opted to stay out of the race. Trump said recently he would defeat the Florida governor in a presidential primary matchup. Neither man has declared whether they will enter the race next year.

Before entertaining any presidential aspirations, DeSantis must first win his reelection bid for Florida governor. DeSantis has raised a record $111 million for his 2022 effort.

Utah has become a popular fundraising spot for high-profile GOP politicians of late. Sen. Mike Lee brought North Dakota Governor Kristi Noem and Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul to Utah for a pre-convention event in March. Reps. Adam Kinzinger and Liz Cheney also hosted campaign fundraisers in the beehive state last year.