Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has emerged as an early contender for the 2028 Republican presidential nomination, after launching a media push in the wake of last week’s midterm elections, in which Democrats won control of both the House and the Senate.
At a press conference in Tallahassee, DeSantis described the results as close to “an extinction-level event” for Republicans. In a series of interviews, he called President Donald Trump’s war with Iran a “big, big drag” on the party, said the midterms were a rebuke of Trump and congressional Republicans, and pointed to Florida as a model for how the GOP can win.
On Saturday, The Washington Post reported, citing three people briefed on his plans, that DeSantis is preparing a 2028 bid and has reached out to at least one national political consultant. DeSantis denied the report on X, saying he had not contacted anyone and criticizing the use of anonymous sources. Asked earlier about 2028, he said only, “Maybe someday.”
Vice President JD Vance remains the frontrunner for the nomination, but the scale of the Republican losses has put his position in question. Prediction markets on Friday gave Vance a 34% to 39% chance, followed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio at 19% to 23%. DeSantis rose to between 13% and 18%, up from about 4% before the election, according to Newsweek. Georgia Governor Brian Kemp has also been mentioned as a possible contender.
DeSantis, who is term-limited and leaves office in January, ran for the 2024 nomination but finished a distant second to Trump in the Iowa caucuses and dropped out before the New Hampshire primary.
His record is not without vulnerabilities. In August, a Florida grand jury found that his administration had “misappropriated” $10 million in taxpayer money, though it declined to bring criminal charges. DeSantis has said no laws were broken.
He has also drawn criticism from parts of the MAGA movement. Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, a frequent Trump critic, was one of only two members of Congress to endorse DeSantis’s 2024 campaign.
