Mid-term elections: in Florida, Republican Governor Ron DeSantis is also targeting the White House

Joe Biden
goes to the field. The American president will be in Florida on Tuesday, a week before the midterm elections in United States
. A state historically considered a “swing state”, but which has leaned towards the Republicans for several years. In 2016, then in 2020, it is donald trump
who came out on top in the Sunshine State votes. For the Democrats, the situation on the spot is all the more difficult as they are given beaten for the post of senator and for that of governor.

Read also – INVESTIGATION. How Florida Governor Ron DeSantis became the new Donald Trump

In this election, it is the current Republican Governor, Ron DeSantis, who should win for a new term against Democrat Charlie Christ. According to Fox Orlando, the Republicans lead the early votes on Tuesday. They registered 1,173,000 ballots, compared to 1,077,000 for the Democrats. In total, in Florida, 14.5 million voters are registered. If the suspense is therefore not there for the election of the future governor, the ballot remains important because it could determine the future ambitions of the elected Republican, often presented as “the new Donald Trump”.

A “cultural battle”

Ron DeSantis, 44, has experienced a rapid political rise: three two-year terms in Congress and then a victory in 2018 which allows him to become governor of Florida. A fan of Donald Trump, he particularly seduced during the Covid-19 pandemic, where he defied the federal government, displayed anti-mask positions and quickly reopened the economy. “Like Trump, he decried the precautionary principle implemented by Democrats and public health experts such as Dr. Fauci”explained to the JDD last June, John Zogby, American pollster.

A figure of the hard right, Ron DeSantis also made himself known by putting forward a “cultural struggle” against the Democrats and the left. He notably carried a law, nicknamed “don’t say gay”which provides that “teaching (…) on sexual orientation or gender identity cannot take place from kindergarten to CE2”. On the subject, he has also engaged in a standoff with the Disney group, which had condemned this law. As a result, the governor removed the favorable tax status of the DisneyWorld amusement park, located in Orlando, Florida. Earlier in his career, the chosen one had already taken a stand against Obamacare.

Like his mentor, Donald Trump, he is accustomed to anti-journalism statements and political and media blows. Last September, he demanded the sending of about fifty Venezuelan migrants by plane to the island of Martha’s Vineyard, residence of the wealthiest and in particular of the Clinton or Obama families, in the Democratic state of Massachusetts. Some of these migrants and an association then claimed to have been manipulated in exchange for a promise of assistance once they arrived on the island, denouncing a political maneuver. A lawsuit has been filed against DeSantis.

Ambition 2024

His re-election as Governor of Florida would therefore strengthen the stature of this new “star” of the hard right before the 2024 presidential election. 71% of the votes on the question “Who do you want to see become the Republican nominee in 2024? »ranking second behind ex-President Donald Trump.

“

If Trump runs for 2024, there won’t be room for DeSantis

“

Will the election on November 8 just be a step in his ascent before a primary within the Grand Old Party? “If Trump runs for 2024, there will be no room for DeSantis, Trump will make short work of it like with all of his rivals. Trump voters aren’t looking for a new ‘maverick’, a new maverick. They prefer the original to the copy. But if for some reason Trump decides not to go, then, yes, DeSantis could stand as his rightful successor and with his blessing.” analyzed in the JDD Bill Schneider, political columnist for The Hill.