Jacob Ogles
Gov.-elect Ron DeSantis on Saturday made three more stops on a “Thank You” tour after narrowly winning a four-year tenure in the Governor’s Mansion.
Along the way, he took with Republican legislative leaders who he will work with in the coming legislative session.
DeSantis started in Destin, a day after touring areas of the Panhandle still recovering from the impacts of Hurricane Michael.
“Thank you to all in the Panhandle who came out to our stop in Destin this morning,” DeSantis said in a later statement. “Your support and spirit, even as you faced the devastation of Hurricane Michael, made this victory possible.“
DeSantis and incoming Lt. Gov. Jeannette Nuñez visited AJ’s Seafood & Oyster Bar to meet with a full house of supporters.
The DeSantis-Nunez ticket won Okaloosa County by 37,532, a larger margin than the 32,463-vote margin the Republican candidates enjoyed over the Democrats’ ticket of Andrew Gillum and Chris King. So the margin the in Destin area proved vital to DeSantis’ success overall.
In Destin, sophomore state Reps. Jayer Williamson, a Pace Republican, and Mel Ponder, a Fort Walton Beach Republican, introduced the incoming state leaders.
“We were honored you were here in Okaloosa County and appreciate your leadership already in Tallahassee,” said Williamson.
Thank you Governor Elect DeSantis @RonDeSantisFL and Lt Governor Elect Nunez @LtGovNunez for coming to Destin this morning on your “Thank You” tour. We were honored you were here in Okaloosa County and appreciate your leadership already in Tallahassee! pic.twitter.com/SV8bvZxcBe
— Mel Ponder (@Mel_Ponder) December 15, 2018
After the Panhandle stop, DeSantis and Nuñez flew to Naples to greet a Collier County crowd at Food & Thought.
There, state Senate Majority Leader Kathleen Passidomo and state Rep. Byron Donalds, both Naples Republicans, shared a stage with the leaders.
Donalds, a close ally of DeSantis, said he was excited to see the ”fantastic and energetic crowd that is eager for Gov.-Elect DeSantis to lead our great state.”
I had the privilege to speak at the Collier County stop on @GovRonDeSantis and @LtGovNunez Thank You tour.
A fantastic and energetic crowd that is eager for Gov-Elect DeSantis to lead our great state. pic.twitter.com/7Qf0FO2p5a
— Byron Donalds (@ByronDonalds) December 15, 2018
DeSantis’ “Thank You Tour” closed the day with a stop in Miami, the first stop in a county the Republican gubernatorial candidate did not carry. But he still found friends to bring on stage.
Rev. Juan Barek, state Sen. Manny Diaz, Rep. Vance Aloupis, and Miami City Commissioners Joe Carollo and Manolo Reyes and welcomed the incoming governor and lieutenant governor to town. The crowd celebrated over cafecito and conservative dominance.
See photographs provided by the DeSantis-Nuñez team, click below.
