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Ron DeSantis' Journey From Harvard Graduate to Projected GOP Presidential Hopeful

© AFP 2023 / GIORGIO VIERA Republican gubernatorial candidate for Florida Ron DeSantis with his wife Casey DeSantis speaks during an election night watch party at the Convention Center in Tampa, Florida, on November 8, 2022
 Republican gubernatorial candidate for Florida Ron DeSantis with his wife Casey DeSantis speaks during an election night watch party at the Convention Center in Tampa, Florida, on November 8, 2022 - Sputnik International, 1920, 16.11.2022
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DeSantis has repeatedly kept mum on his presidential ambitions amid speculation that the Florida governor announcing his 2024 election bid is just a matter of time.
Florida's Governor Ron DeSantis is seen by many as the most likely contender to challenge ex-POTUS Donald Trump as the Republican candidate to run for president in 2024.
Here’s a deeper insight into the governor of the Sunshine State.

Who is Ron DeSantis? (In a Nutshell)

Ron DeSantis, 44, graduated from Yale University and Harvard Law School, and has been serving as the 26th Florida governor since January 2019.
While at Harvard, he joined the US Navy as a Judge Advocate General and was later deployed to Iraq, where he was a legal adviser to a Navy SEAL commander.
The 44-year-old, who left active duty in 2010, was decorated with a Bronze Star for Meritorious Service and the Iraq Campaign Medal, among other commendations.

Run for Governorship

In 2012, the father of three ran in the Republican primary for Florida's sixth congressional district, snatching a victory with 30% of the vote. DeSantis was re-elected in 2014 and 2016.
Two years later, he ran for governor of Florida, narrowly defeating Democratic rival Andrew Gillum 49.6-49.2.
During the November 8 midterm elections, DeSantis won a landslide victory for a second term as he prevailed over Democratic rival Charlie Crist 59 to 40. It was the widest margin in a Florida gubernatorial race since Jeb Bush, the state’s 43rd governor, won it by gaining almost 13 points in 2002.

Policies and Positions

DeSantis is depicted by many as a conservative, who shares many views with Donald Trump despite the two currently maintaining a far-from-friendly relationship.
During the coronavirus pandemic that was announced by the World Health Organization in March 2020, the Florida governor initially ordered a statewide lockdown, but changed his mind a couple of weeks later, rejecting mask and vaccine mandates and lifting most restrictions.
DeSantis is known as a politician who opposes gun control and efforts to defund law enforcement, while also supporting capital punishment.
He is up in arms against pensions for members of Congress and has voiced opposition to the Affordable Care Act, widely known as Obamacare.
In April 2022, the Florida governor signed into law a ban on most abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. After the US Supreme Court in late June overturned the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that recognized women's constitutional right to abortion, DeSantis stated that he wanted to “expand pro-life protections.”
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), Feb. 24, 2022, in Orlando,  - Sputnik International, 1920, 04.08.2022
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Removes State Attorney He Claims is ‘Woke’
The 44-year-old is also known for signing laws that limit what educators can teach in schools regarding race, gender, and sexuality.
In September, DeSantis grabbed the headlines after he sent two chartered airplanes carrying about 50 illegal immigrants, who had previously been in Texas, to Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, part of the GOP’s efforts to move migrants to Democrat-led sanctuary cities. The 44-year-old said at the time that he made the move to protest the Democrats' immigration policies.
In the run-up to the 2022 mid-terms, DeSantis ran a campaign promoting freedom and dedicated to scrapping "indoctrination" related to the "woke agenda."
In his victory speech after the elections, the Florida governor said that “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.”
According to him, "We will never ever surrender to the woke mob. Florida is where woke goes to die."

Reltionship With Trump

In an apparent further aggravation of bilateral ties on Tuesday, DeSantis hit back against Trump as he reacted to a reporter’s question about the former POTUS’ much­-anticipated announcement that he will run for presidency in 2024.
“When you’re leading, when you’re getting things done, you take incoming fire, that’s just the nature of it. […] At the end of the day I would just tell people to go check out the scoreboard from last Tuesday night,” the Florida governor said, apparently referring to the midterm elections.
The remarks came after Trump, who earlier nicknamed DeSantis “Ron DeSanctimonious,” warned the 44-year-old against running for 2024 presidency, arguing that doing so would harm the Republican Party.
President Donald Trump speaks with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis as he arrives at Southwest Florida International Airport, Friday, Oct. 16, 2020, in Fort Myers, Fla. - Sputnik International, 1920, 14.11.2022
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More Voters Prefer DeSantis to Trump in 2024 Election, But Twice as Many Prefer Neither
“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; I don't think it would be good for the party,” the ex-POTUS told a UK news outlet last week.
Trump also pledged to reveal damaging information about DeSantis if he ran against the 45th US president. The GOP governor has repeatedly kept mum on his potential presidential run.
At the same time, in a recent interview with a US media outlet, Trump argued there was “no tiff” with DeSantis, referring to the Florida governor as a “nice guy”.
In 2018, the 44-year­-old was endorsed by Trump as Florida governor, and released an ad, which featured him teaching his young children the sayings "make America great again" and "build the wall".
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