Gov. Ron DeSantis says prominent ex-Democrats may run for governor next year as no-party independent or third-party candidates because the Democratic Party label has become toxic in Florida.
“You’re seeing this stuff about a three-way race because people know if you have a ‘D’ next to your name in this state, you are dead meat because this party is a disaster,” the Republican governor said.
DeSantis, who narrowly won the 2018 election and won a blowout victory in 2022, delivered his political analysis in response to a question at a news conference in Tampa.
He ran through a long list of issues on which he said Democratic Party views diverge from what most voters want.
“If you look at all the things that we’ve done, the Democrat Party in this state fought us tooth and nail,” he said, citing his policies on reopening schools during the COVID-19 pandemic, and government money for people sending their children to private schools.
On crime, DeSantis said, Democrats “wanted to have California-style policies.”
“That’s the type of stuff that they wanted and so I think what you’re seeing is you’re seeing an effort for people to try to think if they remove that albatross around their neck, then somehow they’re going to be viable,” DeSantis said of potential no party/independent or third-party candidates.
“But here’s the thing: You can dress it up anyway you want. If you put lipstick on a donkey, guess what? That thing’s still a donkey,” he said. The Democrats’ longtime symbol has been a donkey.
The Florida Democratic Party didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Ex-Democrat Jason Pizzo, a state senator, has said he’s running as a no-party affiliation/independent candidate for governor. Ex Democrat John Morgan, the well-known personal injury lawyer, plans to form a new political party that could be a vehicle for him to run next year.
Democrats are in terrible shape in Florida. The party hasn’t won an election for governor in more than three decades, haven’t won a top-tier race since 2012, and have fallen behind Republicans in registered voters.
On Tuesday, Republican Party leaders were gathering in Miami-Dade County to celebrate their overtaking Democrats in the number of active registered voters in the state’s largest county. If inactive voters, who still can cast ballots, are included, Democrats are still ahead.
The governor and his wife, Casey DeSantis, were in Tampa to talk up the Hope Florida program, her initiative to help single parents, people on public assistance, seniors and others who need help get assistance, often through religious organizations.
It’s been under scrutiny, including by Republicans, for its financial practices. On Tuesday, the Tampa Bay Times first reported that a prosecutor’s office
opened an investigation relating to the Hope Florida Foundation.
Casey DeSantis hasn’t said if she plans to seek the Republican nomination for governor next year, when term limits prevent her husband from running for reelection. She didn’t provide any clarity about her plans on Tuesday.
After the governor’s assessment of the Democrats, Casey Desantis said, “All I have to say is ‘Preach, brother.’ I mean it’s true. We’ve got to save the free state.”
She demurred about next year’s election. “We literally just went through an election cycle,” and “people are so tired of politics.”
She then offered criticism about “these career politicians.”
She answered after a reporter said he wanted to pose a question to her during the question-and-answer session that followed both DeSantises talking about Hope Florida.
“You can ask it to me and if I think it’s good for her to answer I’ll pass it along,” DeSantis said. After hearing the question, DeSantis said, “I’ll let her come up and take a swing if she wants to,” before giving his views.
Anthony Man can be reached at aman@sunsentinel.com and can be found @browardpolitics on Bluesky, Threads, Facebook and Mastodon.