Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday denied rumors that his wife, first lady Casey DeSantis, will run for governor in 2026 when he leaves office.
The Republican governor addressed speculation about his wife’s political ambitions at an event in Coral Gables. Recent polls suggest that Casey DeSantis would be heavily favored in a hypothetical Republican primary for governor.
Asked about those polls, DeSantis smiled and told reporters, “If I had to characterize her interest in going into the political thicket as a candidate, I would say I would rate it as zero.” But, you know, I think it’s because she’s had a front-row seat to all the nonsense that happens when you do it. “
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Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and his wife Casey DeSantis celebrate his victory over Democratic gubernatorial candidate Rep. Charlie Crist during an election watch party at the Tampa Convention Center on November 8, 2022, in Tampa, Florida . DeSantis was the projected winner by a double-digit lead. (Octavio Jones/Getty Images)
He went on to say that the reason some people have said the first lady should run for governor is based on her successful programs, including Hope Florida, a service that helps people on government welfare to return to work.
Casey DeSantis was a constant presence on the campaign trail as her husband, the governor, made an ultimately unsuccessful bid for the 2024 Republican nomination. Political observers and her supporters have often remarked that the first lady’s charisma and her inspiring cancer survivor story made it the highlight of her husband’s events. The couple’s young children, aged 3 to 7, sometimes accompanied them.
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Florida first lady Casey DeSantis during a campaign event for Ron DeSantis, Florida governor and 2024 Republican presidential candidate, in Atlantic, Iowa, U.S., Saturday, January 13, 2024. Political speculators have said Casey DeSantis would be a strong favorite if she ran for governor to succeed her husband in 2026. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
A native of Ohio, DeSantis graduated from the College of Charleston with a Bachelor of Science degree in economics as well as a minor in French. Before her husband’s election as governor in 2018, DeSantis had a career as a television host, journalist and anchor.
In an interview with Fox News’ Harris Faulkner in 2023, DeSantis said “humility” was what defined her as the Sunshine State’s first lady.
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Republican presidential candidate Florida Governor Ron DeSantis arrives on stage with his wife Casey and son Mason before speaking during a campaign event at Stone Cliff Winery on January 14, 2024 in Dubuque, Iowa . The couple have three young children, aged 3 to 7. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
“I think he’s someone who views the role with a lot of humility,” Casey said. “It’s not about me. It’s about being able to do good on behalf of the people of this state and hopefully this country.”
Recent polls suggest that DeSantis would be a favored Republican candidate for governor if she entered the race to succeed her husband.
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A poll released in April by Florida Atlantic University and Mainstreet Research showed that 38% of Florida Republicans surveyed would support the first lady in a head-to-head matchup with Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., a firebrand House conservative. .
Another survey from the Public Opinion Lab at the University of North Florida conducted in November 2023 showed that Casey DeSantis had 22% support in a very large field of potential GOP candidates. However, 40% of respondents remained undecided in this survey.