MIAMI.- After announcing his withdrawal from the presidential campaign on Sunday and his support for former President Donald Trumpthe governor of FloridaRon DeSantisyou could face several possible scenarios.
The most expeditious of paths is remain the governor of Florida. DeSantis made sure he could remain in charge until the end of his term, which ends in January 2025.
To do so, Florida legislators approved a measure that modified the Florida law known as “resign to run,” which required elected officials to resign from their positions if they ran for a different position.
The new rule allowed DeSantis to keep his position if he dropped out of the presidential race. In this way, the Florida politician was able to run for president without giving up the governorship.
DeSantis, Trump’s vice presidential formula?
Meanwhile, some political analysts do not rule out DeSantis becoming Trump’s vice presidential candidate.
Despite his strong rivalry with Trump during the events leading up to the Republican primaries and ahead of the Iowa caucuses, DeSantis has shown loyalty to the Republican Party and therefore to the former president. The governor could bring votes to Trump in Florida and other southern states.
So far, the name of Trump’s vice presidential ticket is a subject of speculation and debate. Even so, the former president said in a recent interview that he had already made a decision on the matter, but did not reveal the name.
Nikki Halley, former governor of South Carolina and former ambassador to the UN, and who is Trump’s only rival in the Republican primaries, was dismissed by Trump as not being “tough” enough and criticized him after the assault on the Capitol.
Strengthen your management
Another avenue that DeSantis has is concentrate on his management as head of the government of a state that is key for the 2024 elections.
DeSantis is seen as the politician who regained electoral dominance of the state of Florida for the Republican Party, which had been in the hands of Democrats in recent decades.
The former prosecutor and former congressman won the 2018 elections in Florida by a narrow margin, but in the 2022 elections he swept 60% of the votes, defeating former governor Charlie Crist and consolidating the Republican leadership.
DeSantis He has been praised by some sectors for his handling of the pandemic, the economy and immigration, although it has also been criticized for some health measures, mainly during the COVID pandemic. Likewise, he has been the target of attacks for measures adopted in the field of education and his controversy with Disney, among others.
Future campaign
DeSantis too could prepare for a future presidential candidacyif he takes advantage of his popularity among Republicans.
To do this, the governor would have to continue building a base of support and financing for a future presidential campaign, perhaps in 2028 or later. In fact, DeSantis could present himself as the heir to Trump’s legacy, being a younger and more renewed figure.
DeSantis he withdrew from the presidential race on January 21two days before the New Hampshire primary and a few days after the Iowa caucuses, where he reached a distant second place to Trump.
The Florida governor said he did not have a clear path to victory and that he had made the decision to support former President Trump, who leads the polls and votes. In his opinion, Trump is a better candidate than Joe Biden.
