Governor Ron DeSantis gave a speech at the University of Notre Dame on Friday, where he talked about the recent election results and the state of politics in Florida. DeSantis highlighted how strong the Republican Party has become in the state, proudly mentioning that Donald Trump won Florida by more than 13% and that Republicans gained even more seats in the state House.
DeSantis even joked about the Florida Democratic Party’s new mascot, the Florida panther, pointing out that the animal is endangered. “It’s telling because that’s what they’ve become in the Sunshine State,” he said, emphasizing how weak he thinks Democrats are in Florida.
When asked if he wanted a job in President-elect Donald Trump’s administration, DeSantis made it clear he’s not looking for anything like that. “I’ve got a great job in the state of Florida,” he said. “I think me quarterbacking the Sunshine State is probably how I make the biggest difference.”
DeSantis also discussed how he and the GOP successfully campaigned against two major amendments that were on the ballot. Amendment 3 aimed to legalize recreational marijuana, and Amendment 4 would have protected the right to an abortion in the state constitution. Although both amendments got a lot of votes, they didn’t reach the 60% needed to pass.
The governor led rallies to defeat these amendments, arguing they were misleading and extreme. He claimed that once voters understood what the amendments actually meant, many changed their minds. He even shared that some people who had voted early asked if they could take their votes back after learning more. DeSantis said, “They’re like, ‘Can I get my vote back? I didn’t know that was in there.’”
Despite concerns that Florida’s strict abortion laws would hurt Republicans in the election, DeSantis said it didn’t cost them any votes. “Abortion was the dog that didn’t bark,” he said, meaning it wasn’t a big issue for voters. In fact, Republicans expanded their majority in the state House, and some Democrats even lost their seats.
DeSantis used the speech to emphasize his commitment to Florida. He talked about the state’s conservative policies, like changes in education and limits on labor unions, and how proud he is of the direction Florida is heading. He believes staying in Florida and leading as governor is the best way he can make a difference right now. As he put it, he’s happy “quarterbacking” for his home state, where he feels Democrats are fading away politically, like an endangered species.
