Republican Rep. Ron DeSantis (Fla.) entered Florida's race for governor on Friday.
"I'm excited about taking this first step towards a campaign for governor," DeSantis told Politico. "As a former prosecutor, Iraq veteran, and conservative leader who's endorsed by President Trump, I've got the experience needed to win this race and build on Gov. [Rick] Scott's strong legacy."
President Donald Trump threw his support behind DeSantis late last month, tweeting, "Congressman Ron DeSantis is a brilliant young leader, Yale and then Harvard Law, who would make a GREAT Governor of Florida. He loves our Country and is a true FIGHTER!"
Though DeSantis had not yet formally entered the race at the time, Politico's Jake Sherman reported that people close to DeSantis said Trump's message was a "much-wanted tweet."
Many wealthy Republican donors quickly supported DeSantis for governor after Trump's endorsement.
DeSantis, 39, is a close ally of the president and appeared with him at a rally early last month. The Florida Republican is known for being hawkish on Iran policy, supportive of Trump recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital and planning to move the U.S. embassy there, and critical of special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into the Trump campaign's ties to Russia.
Florida's Republican gubernatorial primary has so far been dominated by Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam, 43, who has the support of much of the state's GOP infrastructure. Putnam has raised nearly $23 million between his campaign and an affiliated political committee up to this point, Politico reported.