Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ Central Florida Tourism Oversight District (CFTOD) board, appointed by him, recently made a significant decision by discontinuing all diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs.

According to District Administrator Glenton Gilzean, these programs, previously adopted by the Reedy Creek Improvement District, were deemed discriminatory towards Americans based on their gender and race, leading to substantial taxpayer expenses.

The CFTOD board, in their announcement, stated that the DEI committee would be dissolved, and all DEI-related job duties would be eliminated.

Additionally, the staff would no longer be allowed to use work time for pursuing DEI initiatives.

Gilzean strongly condemned the previous district’s DEI efforts, calling them both illegal and un-American.

“Our district will no longer partake in any endeavors that seek to divide us along racial lines or propagate the notion of inequality,” Gilzean asserted.

Drawing from his experience as the former head of the Central Florida Urban League, a civil rights organization, he emphasized the importance of unity within the community, despite its differences.

The CFTOD further revealed that these DEI initiatives had incurred millions of dollars in additional costs for the former Reedy Creek Improvement District, as they had to seek businesses that complied with the requirements.

This decision marks a political triumph for Governor DeSantis, who is currently vying for the presidency.

According to a recent poll conducted by The New York Times/Siena, DeSantis holds second place in the Republican primary, trailing behind former President Donald Trump.

The other candidates in the race, such as former Vice President Mike Pence, Senator Tim Scott (R-SC), and former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, are polling at 3%, while the remaining contenders have a support of 2% or less.

Although Trump currently enjoys a dominant position with just over half of the votes in the poll, interestingly, 46% of those who chose Trump in the survey revealed that they are “considering other candidates.”

The CFTOD’s decision to put an end to DEI programs reflects a conservative stance against what they perceive as divisive and costly initiatives, while Governor DeSantis’ political success in the polls positions him as a strong contender in the presidential race.