Ron Desantis Talks Up His Wife As Next Florida Governor And Takes A Shot At Trump's Pick

As Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis approaches the end of his second term in office, he's talking up one potential heir to succeed him in 2026: his wife, Casey DeSantis . And he's taking a shot at President Donald Trump 's pick to be the next governor.

Questioned by reporters in Tampa on Monday, DeSantis touted his wife as a staunch conservative who would build on his legacy and argued that the state's first lady could pull in even more voters than he did. DeSantis won a dominant reelection victory in 2022 with a nearly 20-point margin.

"She's somebody that has, I think, the intestinal fortitude and the dedication to conservative principles," DeSantis said of his wife. "Anything we've accomplished, she'd be able to take to the next level."

The comments came days after the president threw his support behind U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds , a Florida Republican who has been a prominent surrogate for Trump on the campaign trail and cable news.

"We've achieved victories in Florida," DeSantis said Monday. "A guy like Byron, he just hasn't been a part of any of the victories that we've had here over the left over these last years."