DeSantis Campaign Press Release - In the News: Daily Mail: Ron and Casey DeSantis dazzle Reno Rodeo crowd with three kids in tow: Florida's first family enjoys bull riding and barrel racing during campaign swing through western Nevada

The Daily Mail published a story this morning detailing how "Ron DeSantis charmed a Nevada rodeo crowd alongside his all-American family during a presidential campaign stop on Friday evening." Read the full article below. 

Ron and Casey DeSantis dazzle Reno Rodeo crowd with three kids in tow:
Florida's first family enjoys bull riding and barrel racing during campaign swing through western Nevada
Katelyn Caralle
June 17, 2023
Daily Mail

Ron DeSantis charmed a Nevada rodeo crowd alongside his all-American family during a presidential campaign stop on Friday evening.

The Florida governor, his wife Casey DeSantis and their three children Madison, 6, Mason, 5, and Mamie, 3, were hosted by one of the sponsors of the Reno Rodeo in a box with premium views of the arena, where a slew of attendees could walk by and shake his hand or take a selfie.

'They're in the right place,' a rodeo-goer told DailyMail.com when asked how he felt about the 2024 GOP presidential candidate attending.

Before bringing their kids to the rodeo, Ron and Casey stopped to drink beers with veterans in Reno at VFW Post 9211, also known as 'The Bunker'.

The Friday festivities came the day before Florida Gov. DeSantis will be the featured guest at the 8th Annual Morning in Nevada PAC's Basque Fry in Gardnerville, Nevada -- just under an hour outside of Reno.

Spotted alongside DeSantis at the rodeo was former Nevada Attorney General Adam Laxalt, a longtime Donald Trump ally who has defected to support DeSantis in the 2024 Republican presidential primary.

Laxalt and DeSantis roomed together while in naval officer training, and they have remained close friends through the years.

Both men were officers in the Navy's Judge Advocate General's Corps, and they served in Iraq.

Laxalt chaired Trump's 2020 campaign in Nevada, but this time around he is backing DeSantis, and heads up the pro-DeSantis super PAC Never Back Down.

The ten-day Reno Rodeo is a coveted annual event in western Nevada with attendees pulling out their best boots, largest cowboy hats, pressed jeans and flashiest belt buckles to watch the competitions, which includes bareback riding and barrel racing, as well as bull and Bronc riding.

Past rodeo president Scott Patterson confirmed that DeSantis is the first-ever presidential candidate to visit the Reno Rodeo.

Event organizers told DailyMail.com that DeSantis wanted to stay throughout the duration of the festivities Friday evening because his kids are big fans of bull riding, which is the finale event.

Many in the crowd eagerly anticipated DeSantis' arrival, while a few others that seemed apolitical told DailyMail.com that they were only vaguely aware of the 2024 candidate.

The general manager of a local Reno and Tahoe-based business who was attending the rodeo on Friday evening said that he plans to change his registration from independent to Republican so he can vote for DeSantis in the primary election.

Richard Harrison, 45, told DailyMail.com that he voted for Donald Trump in the 2016 election, but said he's 'too crazy,' so he switched his vote to Joe Biden in 2020.

But the Nevada voter said he fears that Biden is 'too old' to continue being president, and now backs DeSantis.

At the rodeo, DeSantis shook hands as he walked out to the bleachers after privately meeting with the event's sponsors.

Many prospective voters approached DeSantis to take pictures as he settled into the box.

Though far from the Sunshine State, DeSantis looked to be right at home, donning the black pair of boots he is often seen wearing at campaign events with jeans, along with a white quarter zip on top of a light blue and plaid button down.

Casey, who is quickly becoming a fashion icon and drawing comparisons to former First Ladies Jackie Kennedy and Nancy Reagan, wore a cobalt blue zip-up over a white t-shirt and jeans.

The three kids were in matching 'RD24' navy blue shirts promoting their father's 2024 bid for the Republican presidential nomination. The family of five all wore cowboy boots and jeans.

DeSantis will join Laxalt and other conservatives and Nevada leaders at the 8th Annual Morning in Nevada PAC's Basque Fry on Saturday morning about an hour outside of Reno.

Other attendees at the Basque Fry will include Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo; pro-Second Amendment media personality Dana Loesch; and Steve Cortes, the national spokesperson of the biggest PAC backing DeSantis' presidential run, Never Back Down.

Nevada's presidential primary is scheduled for February 6, making it among the earliest states on the Republican schedule, as well as the newly revamped Democratic primary schedule.

The Basque Fry, a festival where fried lamb testicles are served among other foods, is considered a key event in the lead-up to the Silver State's primary.

Also known as 'lamb fries', the dish is a signature one in Europe's Basque culture, and the event, modeled after cookouts held by Laxalt's grandfather, former Nevada Governor Paul Laxalt, pays tribute to the family's Basque heritage.

The event typically draws thousands of conservatives, who come from around the state to have a ball.