Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) confirmed that while his wife, Casey DeSantis, is not seeking the governorship, it is “flattering” that some are asking her to.
Rumors that the first lady of Florida was considering a gubernatorial run arose after a meeting with donors in Palm Beach County weeks ago. Outlets reported that there was a discussion about the prospects of Casey DeSantis running for the first time in 2026. The governor said Tuesday on Fox News’s The Ingraham Angle that this particular rumor has circulated for “a long time.”
“I think people look at it, they say, ‘Well, the governor won by 20 points, obviously Casey would do better because she’s so much better,’ but it’s not something she is seeking out,” DeSantis said. “But this is not anything new, people have been asking her to do this for a long time. But she’s not seeking to do anything. But it’s flattering that people are asking her to do it.”
DeSantis confirmed that he has not spoken to President Donald Trump about the matter. Trump has already been involved in Florida politics as a resident there himself. Earlier this year, he offered a full-throated endorsement to his daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, to replace former Sen. Marco Rubio. Instead, DeSantis appointed Ashley Moody, formerly the Florida attorney general, to Rubio’s seat.
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“I mean I know [Trump] respects the first lady very much, and everybody does in Florida,” DeSantis said. “I mean, she has done a remarkable job for the state. She is obviously a great wife and mother to three kids. And she has an inspirational story of overcoming cancer diagnosis, fighting through that, and coming out stronger on the other end. And, you know, she is one of the rare political spouses, even though I’m probably the most conservative governor in the country, she may even be more conservative than me.”
A survey from Florida Atlantic University last year showed Casey DeSantis leading former Rep. Matt Gaetz 37.6%-16.1%, with 25.8% saying they were unsure and 20.5% saying they would prefer another candidate.