Ron DeSantis, the Governor of Florida, has become popular among US conservatives for his “anti-woke” agenda. He has expanded gun rights, defunded diversity programs, and banned books. DeSantis has spent four years making Florida the front line of the battle for the soul of America. He will announce on Wednesday that he is running for president.
DeSantis is offering Republicans a version of Trumpism without the chaos that accompanies the former president. He appears almost daily in the national media to lock horns in the cultural wars against “woke” politicians, businesses, and professors he accuses of forcing their progressive ideology on Americans.
His most headline-grabbing initiatives have included allowing Floridians to carry concealed guns without a permit, imposing one of the country’s most restrictive abortion laws, and banning classroom discussion of sexuality and gender identity. He has also barred universities from spending public money on diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.
DeSantis won a landslide reelection as governor in 2020 and has since sought a national platform, setting out his political vision in speeches in a number of the early voting states he will need to win the nomination.
Born in Jacksonville, Florida, on September 14, 1978, to a middle-class family with Italian roots, DeSantis went to Yale University before attending Harvard Law School. He practiced law in the US Navy and entered politics in 2012, winning a seat in the House of Representatives before his narrow election as governor in 2018.
Despite his popularity among suburban women who see Trump as toxic, DeSantis is polling far behind Trump. He has been accused of appearing lightweight on foreign policy and making missteps that have raised red flags over his own readiness for the highest office. Analysts are warning against counting DeSantis out just yet, pointing to his popularity and his status as a winner.
