Days after President Trump named Representative Byron Donalds his preferred Republican candidate for the 2026 governor’s race, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis reportedly made the controversial remark on Monday that his wife, Casey DeSantis, would be a strong contender if she decided to run for governor the following year.
Ms. DeSantis, a breast cancer survivor and a local TV anchor who has never run for public office, was not explicitly suggested to run by Mr. DeSantis.
However, his comments demonstrated that the aspirational couple, as has long been believed, saw her as a genuine contender to succeed him.
“She’s never angled for anything. But I will tell you this: You’re talking about somebody like her. I won by the biggest margin that any Republican’s won a governor’s race here in Florida. She would do better than me.” DeSantis said during a talk with reporters.
Mr. Trump declared last week that he would support longtime pal Mr. Donalds for governor.
Although no prominent candidate has declared their intention to run, Mr. Donalds, a Republican from Naples, has been expected to do so.
Following their rivalry in the presidential primary, Mr. Trump and Mr. DeSantis have sparked a new proxy war by endorsing or nearly endorsing two Republicans who are not yet running for governor.
In that race, Mr. Trump dominated Mr. DeSantis, and he is still so powerful that Mr. DeSantis said on Monday that his administration has “DOGE” teams, which are based on the new federal Department of Government Efficiency.
The 46-year-old Mr. DeSantis may run for president again in 2028. If the term-limited governor or his spouse held a public position, it might be simpler to raise money and get media attention for such a campaign.
When Marco Rubio became secretary of state, Mr. DeSantis could have appointed himself to the U.S. Senate to fill the seat, ensuring a bully pulpit.
Mr. DeSantis, however, decided against it and instead named Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody. An ally of DeSantis, Ms. Moody, had previously been considered as a potential successor.
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