Ron DeSantis News
American politician, lawyer, and former naval commander Ron DeSantis has served in Congress, as governor of Florida for two terms, and as a candidate for the Republican nomination for president of the United States. Winning elections, adopting conservative viewpoints in Congress, and increasing his national recognition have contributed to his ascent in Republican politics.
Life and school as a child
Ronald Dion DeSantis was born on September 14, 1978, in Jacksonville, Florida, to Ronald Daniel DeSantis and Karen DeSantis (née Rogers). Later, his family relocated to the Tampa Bay region, where he grew up in Dunedin, Florida. He went to Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School and Dunedin High School. He graduated in 1997.
DeSantis went to Yale University and graduated magna cum laude in 2001 with a degree in history. He was the captain of Yale’s varsity baseball team and a member of Delta Kappa Epsilon and the St Elmo Society when he was there. He taught history and coached at Darlington School in Georgia for a year after he graduated. He went on to Harvard Law School, where he graduated with a Juris Doctor, cum laude, in 2005. He was the commercial manager of the Harvard Journal of Law and Public Policy when he was a student there.
Ron DeSantis Profile
| Category | Details |
| Name | Ronald Dion DeSantis |
| Born | September 14, 1978 |
| Party | Republican |
| Education | Yale University (BA); Harvard Law School (JD) |
| Military service | U.S. Navy JAG Corps, Lieutenant Commander |
| U.S. House | Florida’s 6th district (2013–2018) |
| Governor of Florida | 2019–present |
| Key policies | Conservative governance, education reform, abortion restrictions |
| Presidential run | Republican candidate, 2024 (withdrew January 2024) |
| Net worth | Approximately $2.1 million (based on financial disclosures) |
Serving in the military and working in law
While he was in Harvard Law School in 2004, DeSantis was made an officer in the U.S. Navy and given a job in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps. In 2005, he completed his studies at Naval Justice School and began his career as a military prosecutor at Naval Station Mayport in Florida.
In 2006, while stationed at Joint Task Force Guantanamo, DeSantis interacted with prisoners at the Guantanamo Bay detention camp. After some time, public records of his service were made available with certain information blacked out. Former prisoners reported that DeSantis participated in force-feeding operations. DeSantis said that he told the base commander how to employ force-feeding.
DeSantis was sent to Iraq in 2007 to be a legal consultant to SEAL Team One during the military surge. He was the legal advisor for the Special Operations Task Force-West in Fallujah. He was named a special assistant U.S. attorney in the Middle District of Florida after moving back to the U.S. in 2008.
DeSantis was honourably discharged from active duty in 2010. He then served in the Navy Reserve until 2019, when he left with the rank of lieutenant commander. He has the Bronze Star Medal, the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and the Iraq Campaign Medal.
After serving in the military, DeSantis worked as a lawyer at Holland & Knight and helped start LSAT Freedom, a business that helps people prepare for the LSAT.
DeSantis transitioned into politics and was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.
Elections and re-elections in 2012
In 2012, DeSantis ran for the U.S. House of Representatives from Florida’s 6th congressional district. He joined the conservative Tea Party movement and got help from groups like FreedomWorks and the Club for Growth. He won the Republican primary and then beat Heather Beaven, the Democratic candidate, in the general election. DeSantis was elected again in 2014 and 2016. He served three terms in Congress from 2013 to 2018.
Positions and time in Congress
While he was in the House, DeSantis helped start the Freedom Caucus. He was friends with President Donald Trump and was recognised for his conservative views on federal powers, taxes, and regulations. He didn’t like the Affordable Care Act and voted for a bill that would do away with it. DeSantis advocated attempts to audit the Federal Reserve and supported replacing the federal income tax with a national sales tax called the FairTax.
The NRA Political Victory Fund gave DeSantis “A” grades over and over again because he was against gun restrictions. He said that gun laws mostly hurt those who follow the law and not criminals. He criticised Obama’s immigration policy and co-sponsored Kate’s Law, which called for harsher punishments for anyone who illegally re-entered the United States after being deported. He also pushed for state and federal law enforcement to work together on immigration issues.
DeSantis sponsored the Higher Education Reform and Opportunity Act as part of his education strategy. This act would have let states set up their own accrediting systems and made it easier for anyone who wants to go to college in a non-traditional method to get federal loans.
Congress’s oversight, investigations, and scandals
Following allegations of targeting conservative organisations, DeSantis voiced his opposition to the Internal Revenue Service. He asked for IRS Commissioner John Koskinen to step down and helped write a bill to impeach him. He also spoke out against IRS worker Lois Lerner and asked Congress to hear her testimony.
In 2017, DeSantis suggested a law that would stop financing for the special counsel’s investigation against President Trump. He stated that the inquiry lacked evidence of a clear crime.
PolitiFact said that assertions that DeSantis voted to slash Social Security and Medicare were “half true” since the votes in issue were for budget resolutions that were not enforceable and were meant to help keep the economy stable in the long run. Read more: Learn more about Ron DeSantis’s background, political career, and national profile.
The 2018 election for governor of Florida was a significant event.
DeSantis ran for governor of Florida in 2018. After winning the Republican primary, he had to run against Andrew Gillum, the Democratic candidate and mayor of Tallahassee. The difference between DeSantis and the other candidates in the general election was around 0.4 percent.
He quit Congress to become governor.
Governor of Florida
First term
DeSantis was governor during the COVID-19 epidemic and led the state through many catastrophic storms, including Ian, Helene, and Milton. His government pushed for conservative legislative goals.
He signed the Parental Rights in Education Act and the Heartbeat Protection Act into law and supported them.
Re-election and a second term
In 2022, DeSantis won a second term as governor, beating former Florida governor Charlie Crist by 19.4%. This was the biggest margin in a Florida governor campaign since 1982.During his second term, DeSantis signed Florida Senate Bill 266 and set up the Florida Departments of Commerce and Government Efficiency.DeSantis outlined his goals for the country and the 2024 presidential race.
DeSantis said on May 24, 2023, that he was running for the Republican nomination for president of the United States. His candidacy came after he won a landslide reelection as governor, making him a national Republican candidate. DeSantis dropped out of the presidential campaign on January 21, 2024, and backed Donald Trump, who used to be president.
Political profile and party affiliation
The Republican Party is where DeSantis belongs. He has always been in favour of conservative views on taxes, federal regulations, gun rights, immigration enforcement, and restrictions on what the federal government may do. He has pushed for term limits for members of Congress and has refused to take a congressional pension. He has also sponsored bills to get rid of these pensions.
Conclusion
Ron DeSantis has been in the military, worked as a lawyer, been in Congress for three terms, been governor of Florida for two terms, and run for president. His political career shows that he has always supported conservative Republican issues and has won elections at both the state and national levels.
DeSantis has been a major player in contemporary American political discourse since he became involved in politics via the Tea Party movement and became a well-known Republican figure. Legislative action, executive governance, and high-profile elections have shaped him.
FAQs
What is Ron DeSantis?
Ronald Dion DeSantis is an American lawyer, politician, and former officer in the U.S. Navy. He was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives and the governor of Florida. He also ran for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024.
What jobs in politics has Ron DeSantis held?
From 2013 to 2018, Ron DeSantis was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for Florida’s 6th congressional district. In 2018, he won the election to be governor of Florida. In 2022, he won again.
What party does Ron DeSantis belong to?
The Republican Party is where Ron DeSantis belongs.
What were Ron DeSantis’s primary views while he was a member of Congress?
While he was in Congress, DeSantis supported conservative economic policies, was against the Affordable Care Act, supported gun rights, wanted stronger immigration enforcement, and wanted to cut down on federal regulation. He was also one of the people who started the House Freedom Caucus.
What laws or rules did Ron DeSantis support as governor?
During his time as governor of Florida, DeSantis signed the Parental Rights in Education Act and the Heartbeat Protection Act. He also signed Florida Senate Bill 266, which changed the way certain portions of state government work by creating the Florida Departments of Commerce and Government Efficiency.
Did Ron DeSantis get into any political trouble?
While he was in Congress, DeSantis spoke out against the IRS for supposedly going after conservative organisations and backing moves to get rid of IRS executives. He also suggested a law that would stop financing the special counsel’s probe of President Donald Trump. His time in the military in Guantanamo Bay subsequently brought public attention and accusations about how detainees were treated. He responded by admitting that he was an adviser.
Did DeSantis run for president?
Yes. On May 24, 2023, Ron DeSantis said he will run for the Republican nomination for president of the United States. He dropped out of the campaign on January 21, 2024, and supported Donald Trump.
What has Ron DeSantis done outside of politics?
DeSantis got his bachelor’s degree from Yale University and his law degree from Harvard Law School. Before becoming an attorney and getting into politics, he was an officer in the U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General’s Corps, where he served in Iraq.