TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – When he launched his campaign to become Florida’s governor in January 2018, few expected Ron DeSantis to prevail in America’s toughest political battleground.
The 39-year-old congressman was largely unknown outside his Daytona Beach district. He didn’t have the professional staff or fundraising prowess typically required to compete in such a large state.
And he was going up against a more established rival for the Republican nomination. But at his side, DeSantis had a key ally with strong connections in state politics and the respect of the White House: Matt Gaetz, the Florida congressman now embroiled in a federal sex trafficking investigation.