Republican Congressman Byron Donalds has won Florida’s gubernatorial election with 50% of the vote. That was enough to defeat Democratic rival David Jolly, who was backed by 48.7% of Florida voters. Donalds’ victory means Republicans will extend their nearly three decades of dominance in Florida. The new governor will succeed Ron DeSantis. What are the plans of the current leader of the Sunshine State? He has never been very forthcoming on the subject.
Donalds celebrated his victory on Nov. 3 with his wife, Erika, at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood. In his election-night speech, he thanked President Donald Trump for his endorsement and the outgoing governor for his work so far.
“Gov. DeSantis has done a great job leading Florida over the past eight years. We will make sure Florida remains the best state in all of America,” the governor-elect said.
DeSantis has been in office since 2019. He could not run for reelection this time because of a provision in the state constitution limiting governors to two consecutive terms. If he wants to, DeSantis will be able to run to return to the post in a future election.
DeSantis has not yet revealed his plans for after he leaves office. In June, in an interview with Dave Rubin on “The Rubin Report,” he stressed that his most important duty is to finish his term.
“I have a lot of people who want me to do a lot of different things, but I think I owe it to the voters to just run through the finish line,” he said.
It is possible that the Florida governor’s next career move will have nothing to do with politics. In the conversation with Rubin, DeSantis did not rule out a temporary move to the private sector. Another possibility is another run in the Republican primaries ahead of the 2028 presidential election. DeSantis dropped out of the earlier primaries in the face of overwhelming support for Donald Trump, whom he ultimately endorsed, although there were sharp clashes between the two during the primary campaign.
In the meantime, DeSantis could join the president’s administration. According to reports from the news site Axios, DeSantis had previously sought a federal government post, including that of U.S. attorney general. In April, he met with the president at Trump National Doral Golf Club in Miami, a few weeks after Pam Bondi was dismissed. Axios, citing a person in Trump’s circle, reported that the president told one of his associates about DeSantis’ interest in the job. Todd Blanche ultimately took over the department.
After the midterm elections, there were also reports of a possible resignation of Pete Hegseth as secretary of war. Ron DeSantis was named among the potential candidates who could replace him at the Pentagon.
DeSantis graduated from Harvard Law School. After finishing his studies, he served as a military lawyer in the U.S. Navy, and before beginning his political career he also worked in a federal prosecutor’s office and at a private law firm.
Ed. JŁ
Source: Słoneczne Radio
