After Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis easily defeated former GOP governor-turned-Democratic congressman Charlie Crist on Tuesday, he gave his supporters an update on his political future that they no doubt were pleased to hear.
After winning by about 19.5 points, a margin so large that not even the most optimistic political forecaster saw it coming, DeSantis declared he has “only begun to fight.”
The Daily Wire added:
DeSantis’ victory was widely considered to be the top story from this midterm election season as Republicans did not perform nearly as well as they thought they were going to, with several of former President Donald Trump’s endorsed candidates struggling or losing in tight races for key U.S. Senate or gubernatorial seats.
Trump repeatedly attacked the Florida governor in the days leading up to the election and even celebrated when a Republican candidate lost in a key U.S. Senate race that could end up determining which party controls the U.S. Senate.
In a victory speech, the Florida governor touted freedom from oppressive left-wing politicians as the leading factor that propelled him to such a major victory, adding that he had “rewritten the political landscape.”
“We made promises to the people of Florida and we have delivered on those promises. And so today, after four years, the people have delivered their verdict. Freedom is here to stay,” DeSantis said. “Now, thanks to the overwhelming support of the people of Florida, we not only won election, we have rewritten the political map. Thank you for honoring us with a win for the ages.”
He went on to mention the large number of new residents in Florida who were motivated to move there by his pro-freedom policies.
“Now this great exodus of Americans, for those folks, Florida for so many of them, has served as the promised land,” DeSantis said. “We have embraced freedom. We have maintained law and order. We have protected the rights of parents. We have respected our taxpayers and we reject woke ideology. We fight the woke in the legislature, we fight the woke in the schools, we fight the woke in the corporations, we will never ever surrender to the woke mob. Florida is where woke goes to die!
“People have come here because our policies work,” DeSantis went on. “Leadership matters. We refuse to use polls and put our finger in the wind. Leaders don’t follow, they lead. We set out a vision. We executed on that vision. And we produced historic results, and the people of this state have responded in record fashion. Now while our country flounders due to failed leadership in Washington, Florida is on the right track.
“I believe the survival of the American experiment requires a revival of true American principles. Florida has proved that it can be done. We offer a ray of hope that better days still lie ahead. I am proud of our achievements in this state. I am honored by your support, and I look forward to the road ahead. I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race in this first term. And I have kept the faith. We’ve accomplished more than anybody thought possible four years ago, but we’ve got so much more to do and I have only begun to fight,” he said.
