CNN —
Gov. Ron DeSantis, Florida's challenging-charging Republican chief who grew to be a family name during the pandemic, will win a 2d time period leading the Sunshine State, CNN tasks, a construction to be able to presently turn the center of attention of his future to 2024.
"We now not simplest won election, we now have rewritten the political map," DeSantis pointed out in a speech Tuesday evening, after thwarting Democrat Charlie Crist's try and take lower back his old job.
The governor referred to as his reelection a "win for the a while" and validation of his aggressively partisan agenda. "We made guarantees to the individuals of Florida and we have delivered on those promises," DeSantis observed. "today after 4 years the americans have delivered their verdict. Freedom is here to stay."
Florida, he charged, "was a refuge of sanity when the realm went mad," "where woke goes to die," and "a ray of hope that more desirable days still lie ahead."
With the campaign for reelection at the back of him, a decision is looming about whether to experience his political success in Florida right into a countrywide crusade for the White apartment – one that may put him on a collision direction with former President Donald Trump.
Even before Tuesday, the bloodless warfare between DeSantis and Trump was already heating up, overshadowing the closing days of the campaign. Their lengthy-simmering contention changed into on full display right through the closing weekend of the midterm cycle when both held dueling rallies on opposite aspects of Florida, with Trump's camp telling CNN his one-time ally wasn't invited while DeSantis allies insisted the governor didn't are looking to be there anyway.
On Saturday in Pennsylvania, Trump tossed out the nickname "Ron DeSanctimonious" – a certain signal the previous president is actively on account that how best to neutralize DeSantis in a potential basic showdown.
DeSantis has largely avoided discuss his presidential future – and Trump – though his moves suggest he is laying the groundwork for a run. He has built a fundraising laptop that hauled in $200 million over the past two years, shattering countrywide statistics for a gubernatorial candidate.
On the campaign trail, DeSantis spent little time on Crist, as a substitute specializing in President Joe Biden and his nationalized political battles. His crusade launched a collection of compelling, sharply produced video clips and advertisements geared as lots toward his starting to be national following on social media and electronic mail as Florida voters. in a single labeled "suitable Gov," DeSantis, who served as a Navy legal professional, cosplayed as a fighter pilot as he shared his "guidelines of engagement" for "dogfighting" with the "company media." In a different, his spouse Casey DeSantis delivered an emotional account of her battle with breast cancer. His remaining ad cautioned God created DeSantis to be a fighter.
In a look at various of his political appeal backyard Florida, DeSantis spent the autumn stumping for Republican candidates in battlegrounds across the nation, now and then touchdown in cities the place Trump had additionally rallied voters. At these routine, DeSantis always attracted crowds that surpassed any GOP figure this year no longer named Trump. DeSantis in the ultimate weeks also made a collection of endorsements in key races, together with for the GOP nominee for US Senate in Colorado, Joe O'Dea, who had stated he wouldn't again Trump in 2024.
"a large MISTAKE!" Trump wrote in response to the endorsement on his certainty Social platform last month.
Election night introduced much more certainty for DeSantis than it did 4 years ago, when the Republican became pressured to wait 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 history.
That outcomes would come to be consequential for Florida – and for DeSantis. In his first 4 years, DeSantis pushed via a divisive agenda that protected new restrictions on abortion, a enormous enlargement of school vouchers for personal colleges, laws to reshape how faculties teach and talk about LGBTQ themes and racism, and a ban on coronavirus vaccination necessities. He orchestrated flights that carried migrants from Texas to Martha's vineyard, refused to support the federal executive distribute Covid-19 vaccines for babies and pushed via an aggressively partisan redrawing of the state's congressional boundaries that cut up up a sitting Black Democrat's district.
His moves often put him at odds with the Biden administration, but they again and again thrust him into the national highlight, turning him into probably the most GOP's most recognizable elected officers and resulting in constant demand from conservative media.
DeSantis on Tuesday singled out two counties that seemed to flip from blue to crimson, the heavily Latino Miami-Dade and the Democratic stronghold Palm beach.
"i am honored to have earned your trust and your help," he pointed out.
En path to his victory, DeSantis constructed an exceptional money skills over Crist and his $31 million crusade. Half of the $200 million DeSantis raised got here from donations of $50,000 or more, even though he additionally received tens of hundreds of small contributions from throughout the country. As of November 3, DeSantis had $66 million unused between his two political committees. Sources close to the governor's team in the past told CNN that DeSantis' political operation had explored how to leverage leftover crusade cash for a federal race.
Crist struggled to profit traction after profitable the basic towards state Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried in late August. His campaign was extra hampered by way of the September arrival of hurricane Ian, which introduced the race to a screeching halt and postponed a planned rally and fundraiser with Biden and the race's handiest scheduled debate. Biden did Crist no favors when he complimented DeSantis' managing of Ian during a joint look in citadel Myers beach.
Crist tried to make DeSantis' well-known political aspirations into an argument within the race. all the way through their best debate, Crist challenged DeSantis to vow to serve a full 4-12 months term if reelected as governor. DeSantis declined. In a canned line he seemed to study off a paper, DeSantis mentioned of his future political ambitions: "The simplest worn-out, ancient donkey I'm trying to put out to pasture is Charlie Crist."
In a 2d term, DeSantis has promised to get rid of allows for to raise firearms and extra "expand seasoned-existence protections," though he has no longer outlined what those can be.
DeSantis turned into first elected to the U.S. condominium in 2012. He become reelected twice, although he resigned his third term early after securing the Republican nomination for governor in 2018. DeSantis defeated a extra establishment-backed candidate in that basic on the back of an endorsement from Trump.
This story has been up to date with additional information Tuesday.
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