Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has not shied away from controversy since taking office in 2019.
The Governor has repeatedly gone against the grain on culture war issues and Covid-19, from the Parental Rights in Education bill (what opponents have dubbed the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill) to more recently, being the only state to refuse vaccinations for children aged 0 to 5.
He has been a frequent target of the mainstream media and Democratic politicians in Florida looking to boost their profile, including gubernatorial candidate Nikki Fried who has compared him to Hitler and claimed that he sympathizes with insurrectionists in fundraising e-mails.
Despite the constant attacks against DeSantis, his profile has continued to rise in the Republican Party and with the general electorate.
The Governor’s approval ratings continue to be in the mid 50’s in a swing state, and recent polling indicates that he will comfortably cruise to re-election.
He currently has an impressive war chest for his re-election campaign that exceeds $100 million, dwarfing his Democratic opponent’s fundraising numbers.
For his part, DeSantis said earlier this month that he is not deterred by media attacks.
“We know you; you peddle narratives. We know you lie. We know you don’t care about the facts. And so you can try to smear me or anyone in my administration,” DeSantis said.
“All that’s gonna do is embolden us to continue moving forward for the people of Florida.” He said at a press conference on June 9th.
DeSantis and Trump have maintained a strong relationship in the public eye, with both praising each other and rebuffing rumors that they are in competition for the party’s support and the Presidential nomination.
DeSantis has repeatedly claimed that he will not seek the 2024 Presidential nomination, despite media rumors and, in some cases, disinformation promoted by Democratic operatives.
His public disinterest in running for President in 2024 hasn’t stopped pollsters from including him in early primary polls, and he’s easily taken the number two spot after President Trump in those polls.
In some, he’s surpassed the former President.
On PredictIt, the most well-known prediction market for politics, DeSantis currently holding a two-point lead over Trump for the Republican nomination, trading at 39 cents while President Trump is trading at 37 cents.
DeSantis has also taken the lead among conservative activists, according to some polls, including a straw poll conducted at the Western Conservative Summit in Colorado. The poll saw DeSantis leading trump by 4 percent.
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