Ron DeSantis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ron DeSantis
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Official portrait, c. 2023
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| 46th Governor of Florida | |
| Assumed office January 8, 2019 |
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| Lieutenant | Jeanette Nuñez |
| Preceded by | Rick Scott |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Florida's 6th district |
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| In office January 3, 2013 – September 10, 2018 |
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| Preceded by | Cliff Stearns (redistricting) |
| Succeeded by | Michael Waltz |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Ronald Dion DeSantis
September 14, 1978 Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse |
Casey Black
(m. 2009) |
| Children | 3 |
| Residence | Governor's Mansion |
| Education | |
| Occupation | Politician |
| Profession | Lawyer |
| Signature |  |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service | United States Navy |
| Years of service | 2004–2010 (active) 2010–2019 (reserve) |
| Rank | Lieutenant Commander |
| Unit | Judge Advocate General's Corps United States Navy Reserve |
| Battles/wars | Iraq War |
| Awards | Bronze Star Medal Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal Global War on Terrorism Service Medal Iraq Campaign Medal |
Ronald Dion DeSantis (born September 14, 1978) is an American politician. He is a former officer in the U.S. Navy. Since 2019, he has served as the 46th Governor of Florida. He is a member of the Republican Party. From 2013 to 2018, he was a U.S. Representative for Florida's 6th district. DeSantis also ran for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024. He stopped his campaign in January 2024.
After studying at Yale University and Harvard Law School, DeSantis joined the U.S. Navy in 2004. He became a lieutenant and worked as a legal advisor. He was sent to Iraq in 2007. When he returned to the U.S. in 2008, he worked as a special assistant U.S. attorney. He left active military duty in 2010.
DeSantis was first elected to Congress in 2012. He was reelected in 2014 and 2016. He was a founding member of the Freedom Caucus. This group includes conservative and libertarian members of Congress. He was also an ally of President Donald Trump. In 2018, DeSantis won the Republican nomination for governor. He narrowly beat the Democratic candidate, Tallahassee mayor Andrew Gillum.
As governor, DeSantis led Florida during the COVID-19 pandemic. He also helped the state after Hurricane Ian and Hurricane Nicole. He supported laws like the Florida Parental Rights in Education Act and the Heartbeat Protection Act. In the 2022 election, he won against former governor Charlie Crist. His victory margin was the largest for a Florida governor in 40 years.
On May 24, 2023, DeSantis announced he was running for president. He continued to serve as governor during his campaign. On January 21, 2024, he ended his presidential campaign and supported Donald Trump.
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Early Life and Education
Ronald Dion DeSantis was born on September 14, 1978, in Jacksonville, Florida. His parents are Karen and Ronald Daniel DeSantis. His great-grandparents came from Southern Italy. His parents and grandparents grew up in Pennsylvania and Ohio.
His mother was a nurse. His father installed Nielsen TV-rating boxes. They met at Youngstown State University in Ohio. They moved to Jacksonville, Florida, in the 1970s. His family later moved to Orlando, Florida, and then to Dunedin. His younger sister, Christina, passed away in 2015. DeSantis played in the 1991 Little League World Series. He went to Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School and Dunedin High School. He graduated in 1997.
After high school, DeSantis studied history at Yale University. He was the captain of Yale's baseball team. In 2001, his senior year, he had the team's best batting average. He was part of the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity. He also worked as an electrician's assistant and a baseball coach. DeSantis graduated from Yale in 2001 with a Bachelor of Arts degree. He graduated with high honors (magna cum laude).
After Yale, DeSantis taught history and coached for a year. This was at Darlington School in Georgia. Then, he went to Harvard Law School. He graduated in 2005 with a law degree (Juris Doctor). He graduated with honors (cum laude). At Harvard, he was the business manager for the Harvard Journal of Law and Public Policy.
Military Service and Career
In 2004, while at Harvard Law, DeSantis became an officer in the U.S. Navy. He was assigned to the Navy Judge Advocate General's Corps (JAG). He finished Naval Justice School in 2005. Later that year, he worked as a prosecutor at Naval Station Mayport, Florida. He was promoted to lieutenant in 2006.
In 2007, DeSantis became a legal adviser to SEAL Team One. He was sent to Iraq in the fall of 2007. He served as a legal adviser in Fallujah.
DeSantis returned to the U.S. in April 2008. He was appointed as a special assistant U.S. attorney. This was at the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Middle District of Florida. He was honorably discharged from active duty in February 2010. He also joined the U.S. Navy Reserve.
During his time in the military, DeSantis received several awards. These include the Bronze Star Medal and the Iraq Campaign Medal. His Navy Reserve service ended in February 2019. He held the rank of lieutenant commander.
After his naval career, DeSantis co-founded a test-prep company. He also worked as a lawyer at Holland & Knight in Miami.
U.S. House of Representatives (2013–2018)
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Congressional Elections
In 2012, DeSantis won the Republican primary for Florida's 6th congressional district. He then defeated the Democratic candidate, Heather Beaven, in the general election. He was reelected in 2014 and 2016.
In 2015, DeSantis announced he would run for the U.S. Senate. He was endorsed by the Koch Brothers' group, Club for Growth. However, he withdrew from the Senate race when Marco Rubio decided to run for reelection. DeSantis then ran for and won reelection to the House.
Key Actions in Congress
DeSantis signed a pledge in 2013 against any new taxes to fight global warming. He voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act in 2013. In 2014, he introduced a bill. It would have required the Justice Department to report to Congress if federal agencies did not enforce laws. In 2015, DeSantis helped start the Freedom Caucus. This group of conservatives and libertarians in Congress.
DeSantis opposes gun control. He received a high rating from the National Rifle Association. He believes that gun restrictions mostly affect law-abiding citizens.
He was critical of President Obama's immigration policies. He believed Obama was not enforcing immigration laws enough. In 2015, he supported "Kate's Law." This law would have increased penalties for people who reenter the U.S. illegally after being removed.
In 2016, DeSantis introduced the Higher Education Reform and Opportunity Act. This bill would have allowed states to create their own college accreditation systems. He said it would help students get federal loan money for different types of education. This included online courses, vocational schools, and apprenticeships.
DeSantis supports limiting how many terms members of Congress can serve. He believes U.S. representatives should serve no more than three terms. Senators should serve no more than two terms. He served three terms in the House of Representatives. He left in 2018 to run for governor of Florida.
Fiscal Policy Views
DeSantis believes that reducing the federal deficit should focus on cutting spending. He also thinks it should focus on growing the economy. He has supported replacing the federal income tax with a federal sales tax. He supported a "no budget, no pay" policy for Congress. This would encourage them to pass a budget. He also supported auditing the Federal Reserve System.
The group Citizens Against Government Waste called DeSantis a "Taxpayer Superhero" in 2015.
In 2015, he introduced a bill to help seniors keep working. It would have removed a rule that discourages retirement. It also would have removed Social Security payroll taxes for seniors. He also supported removing taxes on Social Security benefits.
DeSantis did not receive his congressional pension. He also proposed a measure to eliminate pensions for members of Congress.
Gubernatorial Campaigns
DeSantis was elected governor of Florida in 2018. He was reelected in 2022. He cannot run for a third term in 2026.
2018 Election for Governor
On January 5, 2018, DeSantis announced he would run for governor. He wanted to replace the current governor, Rick Scott, who could not run again.
On September 5, he announced Jeanette Núñez as his running mate. He resigned from his House seat on September 10. This allowed him to focus on his campaign for governor. On election night, initial results showed DeSantis winning. Andrew Gillum, his opponent, conceded. However, Gillum withdrew his concession when the vote difference became very small (0.4 percent). An automatic machine recount began. DeSantis was confirmed as the winner. Gillum conceded again on November 17.
2022 Election for Governor
In September 2021, DeSantis announced he would run for reelection. He officially entered the race on November 7. In the general election, he faced Charlie Crist. Crist was a U.S. representative and a former Florida governor. Crist criticized DeSantis for sending illegal immigrants to other states. He called it a human rights issue.
The debate for governor was held on October 23. The candidates argued with each other. Crist asked DeSantis if he would serve a full four-year term. This was because of talk about DeSantis running for president in 2024. DeSantis responded by saying he wanted to "put out to pastures" Charlie Crist. DeSantis also criticized Crist for not being present for work as a U.S. representative.
DeSantis won the election on November 8 by a large margin. He received 59.4 percent of the vote. Crist received 40 percent. This was the largest victory margin in a Florida governor's election since 1982. DeSantis won Miami-Dade County, which had been a Democratic area since 2002. He also won Palm Beach County, which had not voted Republican since 1986. Crist conceded the election after DeSantis was projected as the winner. At DeSantis's victory rally, supporters chanted "two more years." This showed their support for him to run for president in 2024.
Governor of Florida (2019–present)
DeSantis became governor of Florida on January 8, 2019. He was 40 years old. This made him the youngest person to become governor since 1913. He has generally governed as a conservative. The Florida legislature has passed many of DeSantis's main goals. He has used the power of the governor's office to influence legislative leaders.
Economic Policies
During his 2018 campaign, DeSantis promised to lower corporate income taxes. During his time as governor, corporate income taxes in Florida were as low as 3.5 percent in 2021. By 2022, they increased to 5.5 percent. DeSantis has kept Florida's taxes low. In June 2019, DeSantis signed a $91.1 billion budget. This was the largest state budget at the time. He cut $131 million from it. In June 2021, he signed a $101.5 billion budget. He used his power to veto $1.5 billion from it.
During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, DeSantis said the state's unemployment system had problems. He said it caused long delays for people trying to get benefits. After this, Florida's economy quickly started to get better. The unemployment rate fell below 7 percent by late 2020. By the end of 2020, a group called the Cato Institute gave DeSantis a "B" for his financial policies. Since May 2022, Florida's unemployment rate has been around two percent. This is lower than the national average.
In November 2021, DeSantis announced he would temporarily stop Florida's gasoline tax. This was because gas prices had increased a lot. Florida had a record state budget surplus in 2023.
Education Policies
In June 2021, DeSantis supported banning the teaching of critical race theory in Florida public schools. He said it was "teaching kids to hate their country." The Florida Board of Education approved the ban on June 10. Some critics said the ban was an effort to "politicize classroom education."
In September 2021, DeSantis announced a new testing system for Florida schools. It would replace the Florida Standards Assessment (FSA) test. The new system uses three smaller tests throughout the school year. This system started in the 2022–23 school year.
In December 2021, DeSantis announced a new bill called the Stop Wrongs to Our Kids and Employees Act ("Stop WOKE Act"). This bill would allow parents to sue school districts that teach critical race theory. He said the bill would fight "woke indoctrination." A federal judge later blocked parts of this act. The judge said it violated the First Amendment.
Election Laws and Voting Rights
DeSantis supported the Voting Rights Restoration for Felons Initiative. This initiative passed in November 2018. He said he would "faithfully implement" it. However, he did not restore voting rights for felons with unpaid fines. Voting rights groups said this was not what the referendum meant. Courts sided with DeSantis on this issue.
In April 2019, DeSantis asked Florida's elections chief to make Spanish-language ballots more available. He also asked for more Spanish assistance for voters. He said it was important for Spanish-speaking Floridians to vote without language problems.
In June 2019, DeSantis signed a law that made it harder to start successful ballot initiatives. DeSantis also asked the Florida Attorney General to investigate if Michael Bloomberg had offered incentives for felons to vote. No wrongdoing was found.
In February 2021, DeSantis supported changes to voting laws. He wanted to remove ballot drop boxes. He also wanted to limit voting by mail. He proposed requiring voters to re-register every year to vote by mail. He also wanted signatures on mail-in ballots to match the most recent signature on file.
Tech Platforms and Social Media
On February 2, 2021, DeSantis supported laws to make tech companies responsible for political censorship. He and other Florida Republicans pushed for laws to stop tech companies from removing political candidates from their platforms. A federal judge blocked this law. The judge said it violated the First Amendment.
DeSantis supported Elon Musk's purchase of Twitter. He believed it was wrong for tech platforms to block content.
In 2024, DeSantis signed a law. It requires social media platforms to stop people under 16 from making accounts. Digital rights groups have criticized this law. They say it limits Floridians' First Amendment rights.
LGBT Rights and Education
On June 1, 2021, DeSantis signed the Fairness in Women's Sports Act. This law stops transgender girls and women from playing in girls' and women's sports in middle school, high school, and college. The law started on July 1.
In February 2022, DeSantis supported the Florida Parental Rights in Education Act. This law is also known as the "Don't Say Gay" law. It stops discussions about sexual orientation or gender identity in school classrooms from kindergarten to grade 3. He said it was "entirely inappropriate" for teachers to talk to young students about their gender identity. DeSantis signed the bill into law in March 2022. It started on July 1, 2022. This law also says school staff should encourage students to talk to their parents about their well-being. In April 2023, the state board of education extended these rules to grades 4–12.
Dispute with Disney
The Walt Disney Company, which owns Walt Disney World in Florida, asked for the law to be repealed. This started a dispute between Disney and the state government. In April 2022, DeSantis signed a bill. It removed Disney's special independent district. It also replaced its Disney-appointed board. He also said he might build a new state prison near Disney World. On April 26, 2023, Disney sued DeSantis. They said he was punishing them for speaking out. DeSantis's lawyers tried to get the lawsuit dismissed. The lawsuit was dismissed in January 2024. Disney said they would appeal. In March 2024, Disney settled its state court lawsuits with DeSantis.
Policing and Law Enforcement
DeSantis is against efforts to defund the police. As governor, he has started programs to "fund the police." In September 2021, he offered a $5,000 signing bonus for Florida police officers. This was to attract officers from other states.
In April 2021, DeSantis signed the Combating Public Disorder Act. This law is against riots. It also forbids intimidating people in groups. It penalizes damage to historic properties. It also forbids sharing personal information online to harm someone. DeSantis supported this law after the George Floyd protests in 2020. A federal judge later blocked part of the law. The judge said the definition of "riot" was too unclear.
On May 5, 2021, DeSantis announced that all Florida police officers, firefighters, and paramedics would get a $1,000 bonus.
In December 2021, DeSantis announced a plan to give $100 million to the Florida National Guard. Part of this money, $3.5 million, would be used to bring back the Florida State Guard. This is a volunteer state defense force that had not been active since 1947.
In 2022, DeSantis signed a bill to create an election police unit. This unit would investigate election fraud.
Immigration and Refugees
In June 2019, DeSantis signed an anti-"sanctuary city" bill. Florida did not have any sanctuary cities before this law. Immigration groups said the bill was politically motivated.
Florida became the 12th state to pass a law requiring local governments to help federal immigration efforts. In June 2020, DeSantis signed a bill requiring government employers to use E-Verify. A few years later, he signed a law that expanded E-Verify and other immigration laws.
In 2021, DeSantis stopped cooperating with the Biden administration's program. This program was to move and settle migrants in Florida. DeSantis's government also set aside $12 million to move migrants to other states.
In September 2022, DeSantis's team recruited 50 asylum seekers in Texas. They flew them on two planes to Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts. The migrants later filed a lawsuit against DeSantis. They said his actions were "extreme and outrageous."
In May 2023, DeSantis announced plans to send over 1,000 people to Texas. This included National Guard troops. They would help Texas manage the flow of illegal immigration at the southern border.
Environmental Efforts
DeSantis has supported programs for environmental protection in Florida. He also supports protecting the state from flooding. However, he has questioned climate science. He has supported fossil fuels and opposed renewable energy.
The Inflation Reduction Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act provided Florida with money for environmental projects. This included money for urban forests, fighting pollution, and protecting the state from climate change impacts.
DeSantis initially refused to accept $346 million from the Inflation Reduction Act. This money was for rebates to homeowners to make their houses more energy efficient. He also refused $3 million to fight pollution. He later changed his mind and tried to get some of the rejected funds.
In June 2024, DeSantis vetoed a bill. This bill would have created a statewide process to close waterways and send warnings if bacteria levels were unsafe.
2024 Presidential Campaign
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Between 2020 and 2023, many people thought DeSantis would run for president in 2024. In September 2021, he called this talk "purely manufactured." In April 2023, he said, "I am not a candidate, so we'll see if and when that changes." At that time, Donald Trump was ahead of DeSantis in polls for the Republican nomination.
In a poll at the 2022 Conservative Political Action Conference, DeSantis came in second. He had 28% of the vote, behind Trump's 59%. After the 2022 midterm elections, DeSantis was reelected governor by a large margin. This made him seem like a strong contender for the Republican nomination.
DeSantis's book, The Courage To Be Free, also increased talk about his presidential run. On May 24, 2023, DeSantis officially started his campaign for president. He announced it on X (formerly Twitter) with help from its owner, Elon Musk.
On January 21, 2024, DeSantis announced he was ending his campaign. He endorsed Donald Trump. This was two days before the New Hampshire primary. He had finished in a distant second place in the Iowa caucuses the week before. DeSantis's campaign ended with nine delegates for the Republican National Convention. Even though he dropped out, his name was still on the ballot for the 2024 Florida Republican presidential primary. He received 3.7% of the vote.
Personal Life
DeSantis met his wife, Casey Black, at a golf course. She was a television host and journalist. They got married on September 26, 2009. Their wedding was a Catholic ceremony.
The couple lived in Ponte Vedra Beach. They later moved to Palm Coast. They have three children.
He is a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion. In 2022, DeSantis was named one of Time magazine's 100 most influential people. As of September 2023, his net worth was estimated at $1.5 million. This increased from $300,000 in 2021. His book deal with HarperCollins in 2022 helped him become a millionaire.
Electoral History
See also
In Spanish: Ron DeSantis para niños
