DeSantis touts Florida’s ‘rewritten’ political map as supporters chant ‘two more years’

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) on Tuesday declared that voters had “rewritten the political map” in touting his landslide victory to reelection as supporters chanted “two more years,” a nod to his potential ambitions to run for president in 2024. 

DeSantis coasted to victory over Democratic nominee Charlie Crist, flipping Miami-Dade County, which had not voted for a Republican gubernatorial nominee in roughly 20 years. 

“Thanks to the overwhelming support of the people of Florida, we not only won an election, we have rewritten the political map,” DeSantis said. “Thank you for honoring us with a win for the ages.” 

DeSantis led Crist by roughly 1.5 million votes with 88 percent of votes in Florida reported, according to The New York Times. 

“We saw freedom and our very way of life in so many other jurisdictions in this country wither on the vine. Florida held the line. We chose facts over fear. We chose education over indoctrination,” DeSantis said as those at his watch party chanted “two more years,” a reference to the possibility of a 2024 presidential bid. 

DeSantis, who was first elected in 2018, has used his record in keeping the state open during the COVID-19 pandemic and fighting the Biden administration on prominent issues like immigration to step into the spotlight of the conservative movement. 

Polls consistently show DeSantis as a top choice among GOP voters if former President Trump does not run for another term, and some in the party have suggested DeSantis should be the party’s nominee regardless of if Trump runs. 

Tensions between the two potential 2024 contenders has already heightened slightly in recent days as Trump referred to DeSantis as “Ron DeSanctimonious” at a Pennsylvania rally on Saturday, and warning in a Fox News interview on Monday evening that he would reveal unflattering things about the Florida governor if he jumped into a presidential primary.