JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Word is Florida First Lady Casey DeSantis is seriously considering a gubernatorial run in 2026. (Although she has not announced anything official yet).
Reports first surfaced in an NBC News exclusive report a couple of weeks ago when word got out that Republican donors in Palm Beach County openly discussed the prospect of Casey DeSantis succeeding her husband Ron in the governor’s office in Tallahassee. (By the way, did you know she used to work here at News4JAX?)
This is not the first time Casey has been talked about as a gubernatorial candidate.
She even addressed it during the Conservative Review Podcast in May, saying, “I think when people see me, it is because they are so happy about everything that this governor has done for the state of Florida.”
A potential Casey DeSantis campaign raises some interesting questions, like would she just continue her husband’s policies?
It also sets up an interesting dynamic because it would revive the rivalry between President Donald Trump and Gov. Ron DeSantis over who is the real kingmaker in Florida.
Trump ally Rep. Byron Donalds is a likely candidate to run for the governor’s office in 2026.
Sources indicate Gov. DeSantis is “supportive” of the idea of Casey running to succeed him. It’s no secret the governor has bigger political ambitions.
Ron DeSantis has not said whether he will run for president again in 2028, but if he did, having his wife as the chief executive of the third largest state in the country — and ground zero for modern Republican politics — would be an obvious benefit.
Florida voters go to the polls to elect our next governor in November 2026. The winner would be sworn into office in January 2027.
Donalds teased a run recently while appearing on “Real Time with Bill Maher.” Sources close to Donalds told The Hill last month that he approached Florida donors and made notable political hires, such as the president’s 2016 and 2024 pollster Tony Fabrizio.
Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson and former Congressman Matt Gaetz are already mulling campaigns. None of the three men is particularly close with the governor.
On the Democratic side, U.S. Rep. Jared Moskowitz said he’d be a fit because of his ability to work with both parties.
Florida Democratic Party Chairperson Nikki Fried and the state’s former agriculture commissioner also may enter the race.
Harvard-educated State Rep. Fentrice Driskell, who led Dems in the House since 2022, is a potential candidate and may have a compelling story to tell voters in 2026.
A couple of other names being bandied about include State Sen. Shervin Jones from Miami Gardens and Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava.
Finally, don’t be surprised if State Sen. Jason Pizzo, who represents part of Broward and Miami-Dade and leads Democrats in the chamber, mounts a run. He’s been known to talk smack, saying about Gaetz, “I will kick his ass,” on X, along with a line of commentary.
And I will kick his ass. https://t.co/rfhIfWhfF4
— Sen. Jason Pizzo (@senpizzo) January 8, 2025
The big question is will any Dem stand a chance in glittering RED Florida?
No Democrat has been elected governor of Florida since 1994. In the last gubernatorial election, Ron DeSantis won the largest margin of victory in a Florida gubernatorial election since 1982. He received 59.4% of the vote.
Political analyst Daniel Cronrath joins me to look at Florida’s political landscape on Politics & Power. Watch at 7 p.m. or 9 p.m. Tuesday on News4JAX+ or any time on demand now on News4JAX+, News4JAX.com or our YouTube channel.