Ron DeSantis: A rising star in the Republican Party.

Rival #1

After months of waiting, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis recently officially announced his candidacy for the 2024 White House race as a Republican candidate. This decision means he will also become one of many rivals to former President Donald Trump. Currently, the Republican race has attracted quite a few prominent candidates – most recently former Vice President Mike Pence, former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, and North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum. However, to date, DeSantis is still considered Trump's strongest opponent. A Florida native, DeSantis impressed as a young baseball player. He represented Florida's Dunedin team in the Little League World Series in 1991 before becoming captain of the Yale University baseball team. After a brief period teaching at a high school, he went on to study law at Harvard University. After graduating, he served as an advisor to commanding officers in the U.S. Navy.

DeSantis officially began his political career when he ran for and was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2012. Like many other conservative members of Congress at the time, DeSantis pushed for changes to the Medicare program and Social Security issues, including a proposal to raise the retirement age to 70. He was subsequently re-elected twice, serving three terms in Congress before deciding to run for Governor of Florida in 2018.

Portrait of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis - a leading Republican presidential candidate. Photo: New York Times

At that time, DeSantis caught the eye of then-President Donald Trump. Thanks to Trump's significant support, DeSantis won, albeit by a narrow margin. Last fall, with his impressive performances, DeSantis continued to gain the upper hand and was re-elected with a lead of over 19%. This also marked the biggest victory for a candidate in the state in decades – further enhancing DeSantis's reputation among voters. From that point on, observers believed he was the leading contender capable of challenging former President Donald Trump.

Controversial policy decisions

Strong and decisive, DeSantis is also considered one of the most controversial and divisive Republican officials. Recently, as governor, he signed a bill called “Don’t Say Gay,” which prohibits discussion and mention of LGBT issues in Florida public schools. Earlier this year, he signed a law banning abortions at 6 weeks – before most women realize they are pregnant. DeSantis also enacted legislation allowing Florida residents to carry guns without a license. He has also promoted new measures that experts warn could undermine press freedom in the United States.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis will be running directly against former President Donald Trump. Photo: CNN

With his past policy decisions, DeSantis is portraying himself as a controversial politician with a style quite similar to former President Trump. This includes strong criticism of the left, a focus on traditional Republican values, and a willingness to confront the media or any organization or individual that opposes his policies. For example, DeSantis did not hesitate to "declare war" on the giant Disney when the corporation publicly called on him to repeal the LGBT law. Consequently, Disney was stripped of its special autonomy over the land for the Disney World entertainment complex – a privilege granted in 1967. Disney then filed a lawsuit against Governor DeSantis, sparking a protracted legal battle that could potentially extend into the 2024 presidential election. While the battle remains unresolved, Disney recently announced the cancellation of plans to build a new campus in central Florida – a project that could have created approximately 2,000 jobs in the area. This is seen as retaliation against DeSantis and a negative development in the increasingly intense presidential race.

A fragile victory!

Despite controversial views and policies, Governor DeSantis's allies confidently assert that he has the ability to defeat former President Donald Trump. First, DeSantis possesses characteristics that voters admire in Trump: strength, decisiveness, and a populist approach. However, DeSantis is considered more tactful and composed than Trump, and also significantly younger at 44. His landslide victory of over 19% in his re-election last year as governor surprised voters, especially as Republicans in other states faced significant difficulties. He even won Miami-Dade County, a long-standing Democratic stronghold with a large African American voter base. With Trump facing legal charges, many believe DeSantis would be the perfect replacement.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and his family celebrate his victory in November 2022. Photo: AP

Of course, whether success in the gubernatorial election will maintain his advantage in the presidential race will depend on many factors. These include questions about DeSantis's ability to connect with voters and Republican leaders. Currently, it must be acknowledged that most Republican delegations in Congress still tend to favor Trump over DeSantis. Furthermore, Trump's campaign team is also targeting DeSantis's "loyalty," as he was once a close associate but later turned his back and had serious conflicts with the former president. Therefore, from a state governor to a Republican candidate and the head of the White House, DeSantis likely has a lot of work to do!

Khang Duy