CNN
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Gov. Ron DeSantis, Florida’s hard-charging Republican chief who turned a family title through the pandemic, will win a second time period main the Sunshine State, CNN projects, a improvement that can virtually instantly flip the main target of his future to 2024.
“We not only won election, we have rewritten the political map,” DeSantis mentioned in a speech Tuesday night, after thwarting Democrat Charlie Crist’s try and take again his outdated job.
The governor known as his reelection a “win for the ages” and validation of his aggressively partisan agenda. “We made promises to the people of Florida and we have delivered on those promises,” DeSantis mentioned. “Today after four years the people have delivered their verdict. Freedom is here to stay.”
Florida, he charged, “was a refuge of sanity when the world went mad,” “where woke goes to die,” and “a ray of hope that better days still lie ahead.”
With the marketing campaign for reelection behind him, a decision is looming about whether or not to trip his political success in Florida right into a nationwide marketing campaign for the White House – one that would put him on a collision course with former President Donald Trump.
Even earlier than Tuesday, the chilly struggle between DeSantis and Trump was already heating up, overshadowing the ultimate days of the marketing campaign. Their long-simmering rivalry was on full show through the closing weekend of the midterm cycle when the 2 held dueling rallies on reverse sides of Florida, with Trump’s camp telling CNN his one-time ally wasn’t invited whereas DeSantis allies insisted the governor didn’t wish to be there anyway.
On Saturday in Pennsylvania, Trump tossed out the nickname “Ron DeSanctimonious” – a positive sign the previous president is actively contemplating how greatest to neutralize DeSantis in a possible main showdown.
DeSantis has largely averted speak about his presidential future – and Trump – although his actions counsel he’s laying the groundwork for a run. He has constructed a fundraising machine that hauled in $200 million over the previous two years, shattering nationwide information for a gubernatorial candidate.
On the marketing campaign path, DeSantis spent little time on Crist, as a substitute specializing in President Joe Biden and his nationalized political battles. His marketing campaign launched a sequence of compelling, sharply produced movies and adverts geared as a lot towards his rising nationwide following on social media and electronic mail as Florida voters. In one labeled “Top Gov,” DeSantis, who served as a Navy lawyer, cosplayed as a fighter pilot as he shared his “rules of engagement” for “dogfighting” with the “corporate media.” In one other, his spouse Casey DeSantis delivered an emotional account of her battle with breast most cancers. His remaining advert prompt God created DeSantis to be a fighter.
In a take a look at of his political enchantment outdoors Florida, DeSantis spent the autumn stumping for Republican candidates in battlegrounds throughout the nation, at instances touchdown in cities the place Trump had additionally rallied voters. At these occasions, DeSantis constantly attracted crowds that surpassed any GOP determine this 12 months not named Trump. DeSantis within the remaining weeks additionally made a sequence of endorsements in key races, together with for the GOP nominee for US Senate in Colorado, Joe O’Dea, who had mentioned he wouldn’t again Trump in 2024.
“A BIG MISTAKE!” Trump wrote in response to the endorsement on his Truth Social platform final month.
Election evening introduced much more certainty for DeSantis than it did 4 years in the past, when the Republican was compelled to attend for returns. He went on to a win in a recount over Democrat Andrew Gillum in what was the closest race for governor in state historical past.
That end result would develop into consequential for Florida – and for DeSantis. In his first 4 years, DeSantis pushed by means of a divisive agenda that included new restrictions on abortion, a large enlargement of college vouchers for personal colleges, legal guidelines to reshape how colleges educate and speak about LGBTQ subjects and racism, and a ban on coronavirus vaccination necessities. He orchestrated flights that carried migrants from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard, refused to assist the federal authorities distribute Covid-19 vaccines for kids and pushed by means of an aggressively partisan redrawing of the state’s congressional boundaries that break up up a sitting Black Democrat’s district.
His actions usually put him at odds with the Biden administration, however they repeatedly thrust him into the nationwide highlight, turning him into one of many GOP’s most recognizable elected officers and resulting in regular demand from conservative media.
DeSantis on Tuesday singled out two counties that appeared to flip from blue to pink, the closely Latino Miami-Dade and the Democratic stronghold Palm Beach.
“I am honored to have earned your trust and your support,” he mentioned.
En path to his victory, DeSantis constructed an unprecedented money benefit over Crist and his $31 million marketing campaign. Half of the $200 million DeSantis raised got here from donations of $50,000 or extra, although he additionally acquired tens of hundreds of small contributions from throughout the nation. As of November 3, DeSantis had $66 million unused between his two political committees. Sources near the governor’s crew beforehand informed CNN that DeSantis’ political operation had explored learn how to leverage leftover marketing campaign cash for a federal race.
Crist struggled to achieve traction after successful the first in opposition to state Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried in late August. His marketing campaign was additional hampered by the September arrival of Hurricane Ian, which introduced the race to a screeching halt and postponed a deliberate rally and fundraiser with Biden and the race’s solely scheduled debate. Biden did Crist no favors when he complimented DeSantis’ dealing with of Ian throughout a joint look in Fort Myers Beach.
Crist tried to make DeSantis’ identified political aspirations into a problem within the race. During their solely debate, Crist challenged DeSantis to vow to serve a full four-year time period if reelected as governor. DeSantis declined. In a canned line he appeared to learn off a paper, DeSantis mentioned of his future political ambitions: “The only worn-out, old donkey I’m looking to put out to pasture is Charlie Crist.”
In a second time period, DeSantis has promised to get rid of permits to hold firearms and additional “expand pro-life protections,” although he has not outlined what these could be.
DeSantis was first elected to the US House in 2012. He was reelected twice, although he resigned his third time period early after securing the Republican nomination for governor in 2018. DeSantis defeated a extra establishment-backed candidate in that main on the again of an endorsement from Trump.
This story has been up to date with extra information Tuesday.