In the landscape of American politics, one may not expect a shift in support from the legal community towards Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, yet that appears to be the case. Despite what some view as a waning presidential campaign, DeSantis is garnering attention through his campaign donations, notably from attorneys, outdoing former President Donald Trump by a significant margin. According to data cited on Bloomberg Law, donations from lawyers to DeSantis’ campaign have a 6-to-1 advantage over Trump — totalling over $1.3 million compared to less than $200,000 directed to the Trump campaign.
Perhaps this isn’t so surprising when considering DeSantis’ background. DeSantis is a Harvard Law-educated lawyer and Federalist Society member. These ties could potentially influence the shift in donations. Not to mention, Trump’s noted disdain for certain legal norms could be a determining factor for many legal professionals.
This point was highlighted by Mark Braden, former chief counsel for the Republican National Committee, “Trump is clearly at this stage antagonistic to a lot of the traditional legal norms, so that presents problems…Many of the larger law firms would be uncomfortable in supporting him and that flows down to the partners.”
Despite DeSantis’ seeming lack of momentum, his appeal among the never-Trumpers could be assisting him in drawing legal donors. A Washington-based law firm partner, who wished to remain anonymous, shared the sentiment, “The thinking among a lot of Republican lawyers is that DeSantis is the best shot at Trump not being the nominee.”
Evidence of DeSantis’ appeal can also be seen in the wide variety of attorneys that make up his donor list. In particular, he received $129,300 from attorneys at Sullivan & Cromwell, marking the most substantial contribution from any single employer.
In conclusion, while their reasons may vary, it seems a significant portion of the legal community is throwing their financial support behind DeSantis, marking at least one metric in which he is leading Trump.