MOSCOW: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, 44, will officially launch his 2024 presidential campaign next week as his campaign donors begin a fundraising blitz, Sputnik quoted The Wall Street Journal on Thursday.

DeSantis' decision to file formal paperwork with the US Federal Election Commission declaring his candidacy, which would correspond with the donor meeting in Miami on May 25, puts the governor in direct competition with another GOP presidential candidate, ex-US president Donald Trump, and other candidates, the report said.

A more formal event would follow the meeting, but the details have yet to be revealed, the newspaper reported.

DeSantis was running second in polls to Trump, but he is expected to gain back some ground after he officially becomes a presidential candidate, the media said.

Trump announced his 2024 campaign late last year. Current officeholder Joe Biden officially launched his re-election campaign in April.

-- BERNAMA