Republican Governor Ron DeSantis won re-election on Tuesday night after soundly defeating Democratic challenger Charlie Crist.
According to The Daily Wire, DeSantis beat Crist with a 19-point victory and was ahead by more than 1.44 million votes, with 88 percent of the votes counted. His win on Tuesday far exceeded his roughly 30,000-vote victory against his predecessor Democrat Andrew Gillum in 2018.
DeSantis, widely seen as a top 2024 presidential contender, was also up by double digits in 60 of Florida's 67 counties.
"We have embraced freedom," DeSantis told a lively crowd in last night's victory speech. "We have maintained law and order. We have protected the rights of parents. We have respected our taxpayers, and we reject woke ideology."
"We fight the woke in the legislature. We fight the woke in the schools. We fight the woke in the corporations. We will never ever surrender to the woke mob," he asserted. "Florida is where woke goes to die!"
"Now, while our country flounders due to failed leadership in Washington, Florida is on the right track," DeSantis said. "I believe the survival of the American experiment requires a revival of true American principles."
"Florida has proved that it can be done, we offer a ray of hope that better days still lie ahead," the Republican governor continued. "I am proud of our achievements in this state. I am honored by your support, and I look forward to the road ahead."
DeSantis rose to national prominence at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic for his outspoken opposition to continued lockdowns, school closings, and mask and vaccine mandates. According to CBN News, he has also garnered both praise and criticism for his stance on social issues such as immigration, gender and education.
Many within the GOP have expressed a desire for DeSantis to be named the party's 2024 presidential candidate, with some preferring him over former President Donald Trump.
During a Monday rally in Dayton, Ohio, Trump told attendees that he plans to make a major announcement at his Mar-A-Lago home on Nov. 15. Many believe he will announce that he is running for president.
Photo courtesy: ©Getty Images/Octavio Jones/Stringer
Milton Quintanilla is a freelance writer and content creator. He is a contributing writer for CrosswalkHeadlines and the host of the For Your Soul Podcast, a podcast devoted to sound doctrine and biblical truth. He holds a Masters of Divinity from Alliance Theological Seminary.
