Once deemed the heir apparent to Donald Trump, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has taken a political rollercoaster ride over the last year.
He romped to victory in the November 2022 midterm elections, winning a second term as governor by a huge margin. While Republicans’ expected Red Wave never materialized nationally, DeSantis was the exception, as he turned Florida ruby red. Since then, however, the path has been rockier for DeSantis. He has struggled as a presidential candidate and trails Trump in the polls by huge margins.
But things may be trending up for him of late. He made a strong showing against California Gov. Gavin Newsom in a recent one-on-one Fox News debate moderated by Sean Hannity. He followed that up by putting in an impressive performance in the fourth Republican primary debate, on December 6 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, competing against Chris Christie, Nikki Haley, and Vivek Ramaswamy. And, with about six weeks to go before the Iowa caucuses, he won the endorsement of Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds.
DeSantis’s trajectory over the last year, then, has had a bit of everything, from smashing success to frustration, from policy victories to public relations stumbles. What might Pennsylvania Republicans learn from his record and example?
Start with a major victory in the realm of infrastructure. In the fall of 2022, Florida was devastated by Hurricane Ian. Residents of the Pine Island area were dealt a major transportation blow in the storm’s aftermath, but DeSantis managed to get bridge access restored to Pine Island within three days of completing a temporary bridge. More than 9,000 residents were able to return to their homes and resume their lives. By contrast, here in Pennsylvania, we continue to see long, drawn-out, arduous projects that seem to take an eternity to complete. As a resident of Montgomery County, I remain befuddled by how much time it takes for Dekalb Pike to finish its roadway repairs. These things matter to constituents. DeSantis has excelled in this area.
DeSantis has also thrived in making Florida a law-and-order state, especially as regards election-law violations and election integrity. Montgomery County has just made more embarrassing headlines, this time with a mail-in ballot controversy that has residents stewing. A Towamencin Township board election between Democrat Kofi Osei and Republican Rich Marino had to be resolved with a tiebreaker that involved the drawing of lots.
This kind of thing doesn’t fly in Florida. DeSantis introduced Bill 524 in July 2023, which established the Office of Election Crimes and Security, solely dedicated to investigating election law violations. The OECS has made 1,479 criminal referrals to law enforcement, 13 of which have led to felony convictions. Thirty-two criminal referrals have led to arrests or warrants being issued. Of the two election cases that have gone to a jury trial, both have resulted in felony convictions.
Finally, DeSantis has flourished in education policy. Nobody has been a stronger advocate for school choice, with the state dramatically expanding options for families. DeSantis created the Family Empowerment Scholarship Program, which offers educational opportunities for children of families with limited financial resources. DeSantis also issued Executive Order 19-31, which prioritizes workforce education by requiring an annual review of Career and Technical Education courses and the development of best practices to ensure that course offerings are aligned with market demands.
DeSantis excels at policy. He is a governor who gets results and delivers on what he pledges to do. These are his strengths, and they are considerable.
He has weaknesses, too, however, from which Pennsylvania politicians can also learn – namely, poor public relations and communications failures.
DeSantis has lagged far behind Trump in the polls ever since he officially launched his presidential campaign with Elon Musk on Twitter/X “spaces.” It was a creative rollout, but it was plagued with technical issues. Since then, the DeSantis camp has made many other missteps.
The biggest vulnerability lies with the candidate himself. DeSantis comes off very awkwardly in social settings. He seems unsure of himself in large gatherings, whether it be among supporters at a rally, serving up beers at a local establishment, or debating his peers on a stage. He has none of Trump’s stage presence or charisma, let alone Trump’s ease and enjoyment as a performer.
Maybe DeSantis is over-coached by his consultants, with too many people talking in his ear. Or maybe this is just who he is. Either way, Americans have taken notice. Even DeSantis’s smile and laughter come across badly, prompting negative commentary and mockery on social media. On the debate stage, he seems not to know what to do with his hands, fidgeting at the podium. And he can come off as borderline robotic in his delivery.
It may be too late for DeSantis to overcome these personality or style flaws, but Pennsylvania Republicans can learn something from his struggles. Just as there is no substitute for results, appearances mean something, too. Policy matters, yes – but so does personality.
