DeSantis qualifies to be on the GOP ballot in Alabama

Alabama now has three presidential candidates on the ballot for the Republican primary March 5.

On Monday, former Alabama Republican Party Chair Terry Lathan turned in the signed petition needed to put Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on the ballot. Lathan is the chairwoman of the DeSantis campaign in Alabama.

“Although our party has some really great folks that are running for president, we need someone who is a statesman in the Oval Office but is also a warrior that runs toward problems and doesn’t wait until they happen and try to put fires out,” Lathan said. “And Ron DeSantis has truly done that. We’ve seen that in his own actions.”

The state GOP requires a petition signed by at least 500 Alabama registered voters. Lathan said the DeSantis petition she turned in to the party headquarters in Hoover had more than 750. The DeSantis campaign had earlier paid the $20,000 qualifying fee.

Former President Donald Trump, who is far ahead in national polls, and Ohio entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy have also qualified to be on the Republican ballot in Alabama. Qualifying ends on Friday.

Lathan said some Alabama Republicans have concerns that Trump’s candidacy hurt the Republican ticket overall in 2020, while DeSantis was reelected governor of Florida in a landslide two years later.

“We’re finding more and more people are telling us that they’re going to vote for Ron DeSantis for many different reasons,” Lathan said. “We’re super-encouraged by a movement we’re hearing coming our way for him.”

FiveThirtyEight’s aggregate national polling data shows Trump leading the Republican field with 58.6%, while DeSantis is second at 13.6%.

“I do believe that regardless at the end of the day our party will come together and whoever the nominee is we will all lock arms to give Joe Biden more time to sit at the beach,” said Lathan, who chaired the state party from 2015 to 2021.