Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has not yet made a final decision regarding a potential 2028 presidential run, according to two people familiar with his thinking. These sources stated that DeSantis is continuing to assess the political environment to determine if there is a viable path for him to succeed and if he has a valuable contribution to offer the Republican Party and the country.
DeSantis' office has been approached for comment on his future political plans. In the period leading up to and following the recent midterm elections, DeSantis has increased his media engagements, offering reflections on the Republican Party's performance. Following the midterms, he described the election results as a "meteor strike" for the party, suggesting the scale of Republican losses extended beyond what a "wave" might indicate.
"Last night, we witnessed, to call it a wave, I don't think would be fully accurate. It's the political equivalent of a meteor strike that went all around the United States, blue states, red states, everything in between, and the one state that was able to hold the line and withstand that is right here in the free state of Florida," DeSantis stated at a press conference in Florida.
He characterized the national Republican election outcomes as "close to an extinction-level event" for the party. DeSantis also provided his analysis of the Republican Party's shortcomings, pointing to a perceived lack of positive messages from candidates and messaging that failed to resonate with voters. Earlier, in an interview, he criticized some Republican responses to rising gas prices, suggesting they were "gaslighting" voters by downplaying the impact of the conflict in Iran on fuel costs.
DeSantis previously mounted an unsuccessful presidential campaign in 2024, withdrawing from the race shortly before the New Hampshire primary and finishing second to Donald Trump in the Iowa caucuses. His 2024 bid was reportedly affected by internal conflicts and significant overspending, despite considerable donor support. A person close to DeSantis indicated that lessons learned from that campaign include the necessity of increased media presence and the importance of entering the presidential race earlier.
DeSantis' current term as Florida governor is set to conclude in January.