A.G. Gancarski
Gov. Ron DeSantis told a national radio audience that serving as Governor during the COVID-19 pandemic helped to build a “personal connection” with Floridians ahead of his reelection bid.
On Tuesday’s episode of the Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show, the Republican Governor opened up to friendly interviewers about the campaign ahead and how standing in the way of federal mandates helped him connect with Sunshine State voters.
“I’ll tell you this. And I was Governor for a year basically before COVID. We did a lot of great things. People were excited with a lot of the stuff we’ve done. But since COVID, the personal connection that you have with people because they look to me and say thank you for saving my job,” DeSantis related.
” ‘Thank you for saving my business.’ ;If it wasn’t for you, my kids wouldn’t be in school.’ All these things that are very personal with people. I was one that was standing with them and making sure that they were protected even when it wasn’t necessarily the thing the media wanted to do,” DeSantis added.
“When I ran in 2018, a lot of people didn’t know me. I was one Congressman out of 27 in a state of 22 million people. Well now, people know. They know all the stuff that we’ve done,” DeSantis insisted
The Governor’s comments come as his 2022 effort begins to ramp up behind the scenes, though he has not formally filed for reelection.
Polling sponsored last month by the Florida Chamber of Commerce shows that his messaging is resonating against two potential Democratic opponents in the General Election in November 2022. Matched against Rep. Charlie Crist, DeSantis leads by 7%. And against Nikki Fried, DeSantis leads by 9%. He continues to hold prohibitive fundraising advantages against both.
DeSantis is also resonating with audiences far beyond Florida, as a potential 2024 Presidential campaign looms. The Governor has dismissed the prospects of running thus far.
