Florida governor Ron DeSantis/Image: AP
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has pushed back against a report that he is preparing to seek the Republican nomination for president in 2028, accusing The Washington Post of inventing claims about his political plans. The governor rejected the account in a post on X, saying he had not contacted anyone about a possible run. The newspaper reported on Friday, citing three people briefed on the matter, that DeSantis was making preparations for another White House campaign.
The report emerged days after Democrats made significant gains in the November 3 midterm elections, winning control of Congress. Donalds has represented Florida in the US House of Representatives since 2021 and previously served two terms in the state legislature. The state’s election results have strengthened DeSantis’ position within the Republican Party as attention begins to shift towards the 2028 presidential contest, according to The Washington Post. Dan Eberhart, a longtime GOP donor who worked on DeSantis’ 2024 campaign, told the newspaper that Florida’s performance had given the governor greater standing among potential candidates.
Florida, however, remained a Republican stronghold, with the party retaining the governor’s office. Republican Byron Donalds defeated Democrat David Jolly in the Florida gubernatorial race, becoming the state’s first Black governor. He will succeed DeSantis as governor.