‘Stay tuned’: Ron DeSantis says Casey DeSantis won’t announce 2026 plans until after Legislative Session

Gov. DeSantis in Ocala.

The First Lady won’t launch her gubernatorial campaign until after Sine Die, if she launches one at all.

That’s the message Gov. Ron DeSantis gave to Fox News viewers about Casey DeSantis’ political ambitions.

“We have our Legislative Session going on right now. I would say stay tuned, but we’re going to get through this, which lasts until the early part of May,” the Governor said.

The “stay tuned” language should be familiar, as it was how Ron DeSantis built anticipation for his gubernatorial run in 2017, his presidential run during the 2023 Legislative Session, and his selection of Ashley Moody to be a U.S. Senator.

President Donald Trump has endorsed U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds already, yet the Governor noted that Casey is “very good friends” with the President and First Lady Melania Trump.

DeSantis said the First Lady is “a remarkable person, a great leader” who has “been in the fight.”

He also implied that if she doesn’t win, Florida could “revert to being a purple state,” which would make some Republicans happy.

“I think there’s a lot of folks here, unfortunately, in the political system that would love to see Florida revert back to the good old days when we were a 1-point state. And I don’t want to go back. I want to build off the success,” he said.

The Governor has been teasing Casey’s run this week, saying there’s a “chance” she runs on a podcast interview Tuesday.

Now, though, we have a timeline for a potential announcement.

If the 2023 run is any indication, the official launch would be soon after Sine Die but before the Governor makes decisions on the budget.