GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis is increasingly using his clout with Republican voters to elevate political allies throughout the state, marking the first real effort to build a political network by a governor with a notoriously small inner circle.

DeSantis has already used one endorsement to scuttle the candidacy of a state lawmaker seeking a Florida Senate seat who likely would have had the backing of his own party’s leadership. The Republican governor is also sending signals he could endorse in two other races where incumbent Republican state representatives, who have the support of state Senate GOP leadership, are running.

DeSantis’ public support has echoes of former President Donald Trump, who has doled out endorsements to his favored candidates but with more mixed results.

“Governor DeSantis is the most popular politician with the grassroots I have seen in a long time,” said Evan Power, chair of chairs for the Republican Party of Florida. “His endorsements are gold with our voters. It feels like the governor is using those endorsements now to build his network of politicians in Tallahassee who share his fighting philosophy that will help him pass aggressive agendas for the conservative cause.”

DeSantis’ endorsements signal that the governor, ahead of upcoming elections, is seeking to expand his support within the Florida Legislature and beyond with allies who are ideologically similar to him. The endorsements also send a message to Republican legislative leaders that he’s willing to buck them in order to consolidate power.