This billionaire and major DeSantis donor gave Miami Mayor Francis Suarez $1 million
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One of Ron DeSantis’ top donors in 2022 recently contributed $1 million to a political committee tied to Miami Mayor Francis Suarez — a potential GOP primary rival to Florida’s governor.
Ken Griffin, CEO of hedge fund Citadel and a powerful financial supporter to Republican campaigns nationwide, cut a $1 million check to Suarez’s committee on March 7, state records show. The committee, Miami For Everyone, is registered with the state’s division of elections and was used to raise millions for Suarez’s mayoral reelection campaign in 2021, most of which went unspent in a race where he attracted no major challenger.
Griffin’s donation has not been previously reported.
The mayor is openly weighing a run for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, and Griffin’s contribution could raise eyebrows as GOP donors watch to see who the billionaire businessman will back in a bid for the White House. Griffin gave $5 million to DeSantis’ reelection effort in 2022, and he gave tens of millions more to Republican campaigns across the country. After DeSantis won a second term, Griffin told Politico that the governor “has a tremendous record as governor of Florida, and our country would be well-served by him as president.”
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Griffin might not be all in on DeSantis, though. The New York Times recently reported that Griffin, who has clearly stated that he does not plan to support former president Donald Trump, is still evaluating the Republican field and has disagreed with some of DeSantis’ policies recently.
DeSantis is expected to formally launch his presidential campaign in the coming weeks, and Suarez has said he’ll make his decision soon. The mayor has traveled to Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina in recent months to meet with voters as he mulls a run.
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Suarez declined to comment Tuesday, as did a spokesperson for Griffin.
At an event held at Miami-Dade College in November, the pair had a friendly 35-minute conversation where the mayor touted Citadel’s move from Chicago to Miami and Griffin complimented Suarez’s enthusiasm for bringing the hedge fund to the city.
