DeSantis wins reelection as Florida governor

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is projected to win reelection, defeating his Democratic opponent Charlie Crist in a race that appears likely to cement DeSantis’s growing influence in Florida — and in the modern GOP.

NBC and ABC called the race for DeSantis around 8 p.m. Tuesday.

DeSantis won his first term as governor four years ago by one of the narrowest margins. Since then, however, he’s styled himself as a near-unbeatable political force in his home state, using his power as governor to pursue an ultra-conservative agenda that has won him adherents nationwide.

Gov. Ron Desantis won his reelection bid against Charlie Crist, cementing his influence in both Florida and national politics. (Associated Press)

Crist was himself a former Republican governor of Florida who left the GOP more than a decade ago before eventually winning a U.S. House seat as a Democrat in 2016. Throughout his campaign, he cast himself as a moderate, seeking to counter DeSantis’s brand of combative politics.

But DeSantis proved to be a particularly difficult opponent. After a relatively quiet first year in the governor’s mansion, he carved out a reputation during the COVID-19 pandemic as a conservative warrior who bucked the advice of public health officials in order to bolster Florida’s economy.

That won him praise from many Republicans, who quickly began eyeing him as a potential 2024 presidential nominee. It also drew to him the ire of Democrats, who have cast him as a right-wing opportunist more interested in his own political ambitions than in his job as governor.

DeSantis, who rose to national attention as a conservative warrior during the COVID-19 pandemic, is viewed as a likely 2024 presidential contender. (Associated Press)

Working in his favor was Florida’s rightward shift in recent years. Once the nation’s largest and most volatile battleground, the Sunshine State has seen Republicans gaining a significant advantage: The GOP surpassed the Democratic Party last year in voter registrations, and has only continued to grow that gap.

DeSantis also benefited from Republicans’ growing strength among the state’s Hispanic voters, a vast and critical constituency that Democrats once relied heavily on.

Crist, meanwhile, made the case that he would restore a sense of normalcy and decency in Florida politics, harkening back to his time as governor. Still, he faced strong political headwinds and struggled to gain traction for his campaign; polling throughout the race routinely showed DeSantis with a distinct lead that in some surveys reached the double-digits — an abnormality for Florida, where elections have often been decided by razor-thin margins.

DeSantis’ Democratic opponent Charlie Crist attempted to make the case to voters that he would bring a sense of normalcy back to Florida politics. (Associated Press)

DeSantis’s victory is likely to fuel speculation of a potential presidential run. While he hasn’t said whether he plans to run for the White House in 2024, he’s notably refrained from ruling out a bid.

If he does run, however, it could put him in direct conflict with former President Trump, who has repeatedly flirted with the idea of another White House run.