EXCLUSIVE: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and his family visited First Lady Casey DeSantis’ hometown in Troy, Ohio this week, touring her elementary school and paying a visit to a favorite local diner for hamburgers and milkshakes in between political events in the Buckeye State.
The governor and first lady, along with their children Madison and Mason, went for the trip down memory lane on Thursday in between speaking events for the Republican governor in Akron and West Chester Township.
According to DeSantis’ office, the family visited K’s Hamburger Shop, a favorite local eatery that Casey DeSantis frequented growing up, and met with employees and diners. They also looked through the first lady’s yearbook over burgers and milkshakes.
RON DESANTIS SPEECH TO NEW HAMPSHIRE REPUBLICANS MOMENTARILY INTERRUPTED BY PROTESTERS
April 13, 2023: Gov. Ron DeSantis, First Lady Casey DeSantis and their children visit Heywood Elementary School. (Office of Gov. Ron DeSantis)
Later, they toured Heywood Elementary School, meeting teachers and staff before finding DeSantis’ class picture from when she was a student, and also the classroom where her mother taught as a speech pathologist.
The two would then speak to a crowd of 900 attendees at a dinner hosted by the Butler County Republican Party. The governor had spoken before a crowd at the Summit County GOP’s Lincoln Day Breakfast in Akron, Ohio.
DeSantis, a former congressman, saw his popularity soar among conservatives across the country over the past three years due to his forceful pushback against COVID-19 pandemic restrictions and for fighting against the media, corporations and teachers unions while growing the state's economy. He won re-election by a comfortable 19 points last year.
April 13, 2023: Gov. Ron DeSantis, First Lady Casey DeSantis and their children walk through Troy, Ohio. (Office of Gov. Ron DeSantis)
DeSantis is now the source of fierce speculation that he will run for president in 2024, and has already been the target of attacks from former President Donald Trump — the current polling front-runner for the GOP nomination next year.
After visiting Ohio on Thursday, DeSantis gave speeches on Friday in Lynchburg, Virginia and Manchester, New Hampshire. The governor didn't mention his expected presidential campaign in his speech in New Hampshire, other than to repeat his often used line that "I have only begun to fight."
April 13, 2023: Gov. Ron DeSantis, First Lady Casey DeSantis and their children visit a diner in Troy, Ohio. (Office of Gov. Ron DeSantis)
"We’re leading the nation on a whole host of issues. We’re number one in the country… for net-in migration… we’re number one in new business formations, one number in tourism. We’re number one in economic freedom… we’re number one in education freedom. We’re number one in parental involvement in education," DeSantis touted. "We lead not merely with words but with deeds."
Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.