Race to Replace Trump Officially Starts As Ron DeSantis Reportedly Explores 2028 Run
Race to Replace Trump Officially Starts As Ron DeSantis Reportedly Explores 2028 Run
Kathianne BonielloFri, November 6, 2026 at 10:51 PM UTC
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AP Photo/Chris O’Meara
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), whose state was one of the few places in the United States which appeared to buck Tuesday’s blue wave in the midterm elections, is reportedly getting ready to run for president.
DeSantis, 48, ran for president in 2024 but couldn’t surpass current President Donald Trump’s popularity, and bowed out by January 2024.
But three sources told The Washington Post Friday night that DeSantis — buoyed by Republican wins this week in the Sunshine State — was now getting ready for another White House bid.
Longtime Republican donor Dan Eberhart, who was involved in DeSantis’ 2024 run, said the midterm success for Republicans in Florida is a big feather in DeSantis’ cap.
“Florida’s walls not being breached by the blue wave gives DeSantis more credibility than nearly anyone in the opening days of the 2028 primary,” he told The Washington Post.
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The news organization said DeSantis has apparently learned lessons from his rocky 2024 run:
From his 2024 bid, DeSantis has learned he will need to do more media appearances if he wants to succeed, said the person close to him. He also learned he cannot wait too long before entering the presidential race; in 2023, he opted to wait until after Florida finished its state legislative session. Those months of anticipation gave the Trump team ample time to define and attack him.
Democratic wins were so strong across the country in the midterms, Texas has gone blue for the first time in 40 years and the party not only took back control of Congress but has logged historic margins in both chambers.
DeSantis was quick to call out the Republican Party’s dismal showing in comments early Wednesday, in which he called the election results “close to an extinction-level event for Republicans in many parts of the country, as we have seen probably in the last 100 years.
“In January, when everyone in office leaves, who were either term-limited or voted out, of the 10 largest states in this union, only one state will have Republican control of their state. The state of Florida,” he said in his remarks.
“If you look at our chief rival — in a healthy sense, the state of Texas — I would say over my lifetime, Texas has been the crown jewel of Republican politics. I think we’ve been the leader for Republicans and conservatives since I’ve been governor, but you go over the whole generation, no one holds a candle on the Republican side to the Lone Star State. Not only did they lose a highly publicized U.S. Senate race, they lost everything. The governor, attorney general, all the other statewide.”
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Source: “AOL Breaking”
