Despite Midterm Rout, DeSantis Prepares for 2028 Presidential Run

With the Republican Party suffering a crushing defeat in the midterm elections (congressional elections held midway through a president's term), The Washington Post reported, citing three sources, that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is preparing to run for president in 2028. DeSantis has approached at least one national political consultant (campaign strategist) about joining his team, and a federal super PAC (a political group that raises funds independently of candidates) supporting him is said to have sent fundraising text messages this week.

While Democrats swept the races nationwide, Florida was one of the few strongholds where Republicans held their ground. The GOP won the gubernatorial and U.S. Senate races in the state and preserved its existing seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. Republican donor Dan Eberhart said that Florida's unbroken defensive line would give DeSantis significant credibility in the early stages of the 2028 presidential primary.

DeSantis will leave office in January next year due to term limits barring a fourth consecutive term. Ahead of his departure, DeSantis has made successive appearances on Fox News and other major outlets since the election, working to distinguish himself from President Trump.

In the 2024 Republican presidential primary, DeSantis fell far behind Donald Trump in the polls, managing just 21.3% of the vote in the Iowa caucuses (party conventions), and dropped out just before the New Hampshire primary. Citing aides, the Post reported that DeSantis learned from that experience that he needed to raise his media profile and enter the race earlier.

Still, after the report was published, DeSantis drew a line under the speculation, writing on X (formerly Twitter): "I have not contacted anyone about running in any election."