Key Points
- Florida governor Ron DeSantis is being touted as a rising star in the United States Republican Party.
- He was re-elected with a landslide victory in the midterm elections, winning 59 per cent of the votes.
- Many people are viewing him as Donald Trump's biggest rival as a potential presidential nominee in 2024.
As the dust settles on the 2022 United States midterm elections, attention is turning to the 2024 presidential election and who from the Republican party will be running for the White House.
Former president is widely expected to announce a bid for the presidency in the coming days, but not all Republicans support him.
- who was re-elected in a landslide victory in the midterms - is a figure gaining considerable interest among the Republican party.
So who is he, what does he stand for, and what is his relationship with Donald Trump?
Who is Ron DeSantis?
Born and raised in Florida, Ron DeSantis has served as governor of the state since January 2019.
He studied at Yale University and Harvard Law School. During his time at Harvard, Mr DeSantis earned a commission in the United States Navy as a Judge Advocate General (JAG), and later deployed to Iraq. His military decorations include the Bronze Star Medal for Meritorious Service and the Iraq Campaign Medal.
In 2012, he ran in the Republican primary for Florida's sixth congressional district, which he won with 30 per cent of the vote. He was re-elected in 2014 and 2016.
In 2018, he ran for governor of Florida, and narrowly defeated Democratic opponent Andrew Gillum.
In the 2022 midterms, he was re-elected with 59 per cent of the vote.
What are his policies and views?
Mr DeSantis is a conservative and shares many views with Donald Trump.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, he initially ordered a statewide lockdown, but changed his mind three weeks later, rejecting mask and vaccine mandates and lifting most restrictions.
While serving in Congress, he refused his Congressional pension and health insurance plan as he opposes pensions for members of Congress.
He has signed laws limiting what educators can teach in schools regarding race, gender, and sexuality.
Mr DeSantis is anti-abortion and opposes the Affordable Care Act, colloquially referred to as Obamacare.
Former United States president Donald Trump and Florida governor Ron Desantis were once allies, but will now likely be rivals for the Republican nominee in the 2024 election. Source: Getty / Joe Raedle
"States and cities governed by leftist politicians have seen crime skyrocket, they've seen their taxpayers abused, they've seen medical authoritarianism imposed and they've seen American principles discarded," Mr DeSantis said in his victory speech.
"We will never ever surrender to the woke mob. Florida is where woke goes to die."
What is his relationship with Donald Trump?
Mr DeSantis is being increasingly viewed as an alternative to Donald Trump. The two had previously been allies, having praised each other and taken similar positions on numerous issues.
In 2018, Mr DiSantis was endorsed by Mr Trump as governor, and released an ad featuring his young children where he taught them sayings such as "make America great again" and "build the wall".
Florida governor Ron DeSantis has been tipped as a possible 2024 presidential candidate. Source: Getty / GIORGIO VIERA/AFP
At a rally over the weekend, Mr Trump coined his own nickname for his former ally, referring to him as "Ron De-Sanctimonious" and belittled his election victory.
"Shouldn't it be said that in 2020, I got 1.1 million more votes in Florida than Ron D got this year, 5.7 million to 4.6 million?" Mr Trump said on his Truth Social platform. "Just asking?"
In an interview with Fox News, Mr Trump said there was “no tiff” with Mr DiSantos, and referred to him as a “nice guy”.
Mr Trump also said it would be a “mistake” for the Florida governor to run for the Republican presidential nominee.
"I don’t know if he is running. I think if he runs, he could hurt himself very badly. I really believe he could hurt himself badly," he said.
"I think he would be making a mistake, I think the base would not like it — I don’t think it would be good for the party."
On Thursday, the Wall Street Journal declared in an editorial that "Trump Is the Republican Party's Biggest Loser".
The cover of the tabloid New York Post depicted Trump on a precarious wall as "Trumpty Dumpty" who "had a great fall" in the vote, blaming him for the failure of Republicans to sweep past Democratic rivals.
It celebrated Mr DeSantis as "DeFUTURE."
Mr Trump continues to dominate in the polls when Republicans are asked who they want to represent the party in the 2024 White House race.
With AFP
