Ron DeSantis Wins Reelection Bid in Florida
(TheRedWire.com) – Voters typically elect candidates based on several factors. Chief among them are likeability, competency, and leadership. Over the last four years, Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis has turned the Sunshine State from a toss-up to a deep red Republican bastion. On Tuesday, November 8, the governor didn’t just win the election. He made a statement.
DeSantis resoundingly beat former GOP Florida governor turned Democratic Congressman Charlie Crist (D-FL). The nearly 20-point margin — 59 to 40 — was the biggest win by a Florida governor since Jeb Bush (R-FL) won by almost 13 points in 2002. Making matters more interesting for Republicans, DeSantis flipped several Democratic stronghold counties, setting up a potential 2024 presidential run against former President Donald Trump.
DeSantis Wins With Massive Margins
Over the last several months, polls showed the popular rising GOP star would easily defeat Crist. Many polls showed him up with double-digit leads. RealClearPolitics polling average had DeSantis winning by 12.2 points. FiveThirtyEight showed a similar lead, and the Cook Political Report put the race at “likely Republican.”
In his victory speech, people chanted “two more years” in a call for the state’s top politician to run for president. The Republican victor told his supporters Florida had become a “promised land” compared to Democratic-run states and cities. He accused Washington of “floundering” as bad leadership put the country on the wrong track. By contrast, he said Florida was headed in the right direction and stated it’s where “woke goes to die!” He added that voters cast a ballot for freedom and said they rewrote the political map.
The red wave was so strong that for the first time since the Reconstruction era, no statewide elected official is now a Democrat. Additionally, DeSantis won long-time Democratic strongholds of Miami-Dade County, Palm Beach County, and Osceola County.
Florida Out of Reach for Democrats as DeSantis Has Big Decision To Make
With the decisive win and Republicans holding a decisive 320,000 voter registration advantage, Florida may no longer be a traditional swing state. Democrats may recognize the new reality.
After losing elections for decades, major groups are backing out of the state. As the nation held the election, state Democratic Party Chair Manny Diaz wrote local party leaders and noted that in the 2018 midterms, national groups spent almost $60 million in the state. In this election cycle, they gave only $1.3 million.
With the 2022 midterm elections behind America, the focus now turns to the 2024 presidential election. If DeSantis decides to capitalize on his success and run for the White House, he’ll likely face former President Donald Trump. On Tuesday, November 15, Trump plans to make an important announcement.
Regardless, in recent weeks, tensions have grown between the two political stalwarts. Recently, Trump didn’t invite DeSantis to rally in Miami for Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL). Instead, the governor held his own campaign events. Trump also berated the potential GOP competitor, nicknaming him “DeSanctimonious.”
Stay tuned. The midterms may be over, but things are just heating up.
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