President Trump congratulated Florida congressman and gubernatorial candidate Rep. Ron DeSantis (R) on Tuesday after the Republican won his party’s primary to vie for the seat held by retiring Gov. Rick Scott (R).
Trump wrote in a tweet that DeSantis will make a “fantastic governor” for Florida after DeSantis defeated the state’s agricultural commissioner Adam Putnam (R) in the primary by double-digits.
{mosads}The president had spoken favorably about a DeSantis bid for governor as early as December of last year, before the congressman had officially entered the race.
“Such a fantastic win for Ron DeSantis and the people of the Great State of Florida. Ron will be a fantastic Governor. On to November!” he wrote Tuesday night.
Trump had previously campaigned for DeSantis at a rally in the state late last month, calling the congressman “a tough, brilliant cookie” at the time.
“He’s smart and he loves Florida and he loves our country and he’s going to be your next governor – Ron DeSantis,” Trump said, introducing the congressman to the rally.
DeSantis had trailed Putnam in polls of the race for months before Trump officially endorsed DeSantis’ candidacy in June, vaulting DeSantis past the former member of the House Republican leadership.
Trump’s endorsement of DeSantis came despite a personal appeal from Putnam to Vice President Mike Pence, also a former member of the House, for Trump to stay out of the race.
Republicans have won the last five gubernatorial elections in Florida, and the state’s next governor will have control over the process to redraw congressional district maps after the 2020 Census.