Press

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a rising Republican star, has been careful not to nurture growing speculation that he will make a presidential bid in 2024. He has brushed off questions about his political ambitions, while the party’s presumptive front-runner, Donald Trump, repeatedly hints he will run again.

But there are signs that DeSantis could be preparing for a White House run even as he campaigns for another term as governor in November’s midterm elections.

ROKK CO-founding Partner Ron Bonjean shared his thoughts here.

When California Gov. Gavin Newsom launched a bold, in-your-face ad in Florida this week, Democrats thirsty for an aggressive voice in their party began to take notice. 

The spot, which aired on Fox News programming across Florida on Monday, went after former President Trump, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) and the conservative culture of the Sunshine State.  

The ad was aimed at hitting Republicans, but it got the attention of Democrats who are worried about who could take on Trump or DeSantis — two likely prospects for the Republican presidential nomination — in 2024 if President Biden chooses not to seek a second term. 

It was particularly resonant in taking on DeSantis in his home state of Florida, which has been tilting toward the GOP but was won twice by former President Obama.  

ROKK CO-founding Partner Rodell Mollineau shared his thoughts here.

President Biden threw his support behind a carveout of the Senate filibuster to codify abortion rights, a moment some Democrats have been waiting for since May. But if his comments don’t move the needle, ROKK Founding Partner Ron Bonjean said it reinforces the idea that Democrats can’t get anything done. Read Ron’s comments- and more- in this article.

Senate negotiators working to come to an agreement on gun violence legislation are asking the White House to stay out of the talks. Some have said that President Biden’s involvement wouldn’t be “helpful” after he called on Congress to pass gun control measures, some of which aren’t even supported by all 50 Democrats. Senior Vice President John LaBombard, former communications director to Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), shared his take on the value of aspirational statements that don’t move legislation here.

As Americans prepare to return to the ballot box for the midterms this November, political strategists and media figures are heralding a Republican takeover of the House. In preparation for the pendulum swinging to the right, many in Washington, D.C. are already taking their feet off the gas when it comes to engagement with Democrats, paying less attention to the issues they view as important to the left.

This is a mistake.

ROKK Managing Director Lindsay Singleton, who also founded and leads ROKK’s Social Impact Communications practice, shares her recent research and thoughts around the importance of ESG issues with voters at the polls this fall. Read the article in Triple Pundit here.

Democrats once hailed Build Back Better as the policy that could help them win the midterms.

But as even the possibility of a scaled-back version of President Biden’s signature legislation fizzles in the 50-50 Senate, some are wondering if the president will have anything comparable to campaign on as the election season inches closer. 

ROKK Co-founding Partner Rodell Mollineau, shares his take on the messaging for the upcoming elections, and just how much Democrats have accomplished, in this article on The Hill.

Gas, airfares, Uber rides, even chicken wings, you name it, these days, we’re all paying a whole lot more for it. But how long will Americans put up with it? 

And what about investors? The S&P 500 briefly dipping into bear market territory, although we didn’t close here today. 

ROKK Partner Kristen Hawn joins Charles Payne on Your World to talk about the upcoming midterm elections, and the role inflation is playing in voter sentiment in this episode on Fox News.

There is a new issue that business leaders are wrestling with: figuring out their new role in society as ushers of profit and social fairness. When social issues arise that make groups feel marginalized or under attack, employees want their organization to stand up for them. But standing up sometimes means incurring the wrath of investors and community stakeholders. And CEOs, who consumers want to hear from most (vs. a more generic response from the company as a whole) are in the middle.

Democratic strategist and ROKK Co-founding Partner Rodell Mollineau, Republican strategist and ROKK Co-founding Partner Ron Bonjean and Impact ROI CEO and ROKK Senior Advisor Steve Rochlin weigh in on how the CEO of Disney, Bob Chapek, handled the company’s recent response to LGBTQIA+ legislation as a case study for these issues as social threats to organizations and how they can be anticipated and managed successfully. Read the article here.

American Conservation Coalition VP of government affairs Quill Robinson and former Blue Dog Coalition communications director and current ROKK Solutions Partner Kristen Hawn weigh in on the federal mask mandate getting overturned. Watch the segment here.

Democrats on Capitol Hill, fearing a deluge of migrants at the southern border this summer, are pressuring President Biden to back off his decision to lift the Trump-era Title 42 order next month. Senior Vice President John LaBombard discusses why vulnerable Democrats, especially those up for re-election in the 2022 Midterm elections, are scrambling to distance themselves from Biden’s Title 42 decision and demanding the administration delay action until it has a plan for dealing with a summer migrant surge. Read the article here.