Ron DeSantis, the governor of Florida and potential Republican presidential nominee, plans to travel to New York City on Monday for a law enforcement event, according to a copy of the invitation obtained by POLITICO.
DeSantis, who is expected to announce his candidacy in the spring, is listed as a “special guest to discuss protecting law and order in New York,” according to the email. The event will coincide with the federal President’s Day holiday on Monday morning.
The doors will open at 7:30 a.m. at the Privy Catering Hall on Staten Island’s South Shore — one of the few Republican bastions in the otherwise Democratic bastion of New York City. Staten Island is one of five boroughs in the city that supported former President Donald Trump in both 2016 and 2020. It is a suburban enclave in a city of mass transit, overcrowding and skyscrapers, and home to many police officers and firefighters who back GOP candidates.
Attendees at the event included state Assembly member and local GOP head Michael Tanoussis; City Council Republican members Joe Borelli and David Carr; and Assemblymember Michael Reilly, according to someone with knowledge of the incident who would speak only on condition of anonymity. Law enforcement union leaders are also likely to be on hand, the person said.
The invitation indicates that DeSantis will hold additional events in the city, but does not specify details. National candidates of both major parties often travel to New York to raise funds, given the predominance of prestigious political donors in the city.
Despite New York being a Democratic stronghold, Republicans did surprisingly well in the state during the 2022 election cycle.