How Florida Governor Ron DeSantis will shape his state’s 2026 midterm race

What the report says

Ron DeSantis is ending his second term as Florida governor in January, and Al Jazeera reports that his eight years in office have reshaped the state’s politics and may heavily influence Tuesday’s race to choose his successor. The article says Florida has shifted from a competitive swing state to a reliably Republican one under DeSantis, who first won in 2018 by a narrow margin and later secured re-election by a wide margin in 2022. It also notes that Republicans now hold a large voter-registration advantage in the state, a reversal from 2020.

In the current contest, Republican U.S. Representative Byron Donalds is seeking to keep the governor’s office in GOP hands, while former congressman David Jolly, now running as a Democrat, is presenting himself as a more moderate alternative focused on affordability and healthcare. A political science professor quoted by Al Jazeera said DeSantis’s style and policy agenda may have alienated some voters, but the full effect will only be clear after the vote.

The report describes DeSantis as a national conservative figure whose policies on education, race, gender and immigration have had influence beyond Florida. Those included school-related restrictions and actions against diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, with similar measures later appearing in other states. Al Jazeera says Donalds has largely embraced that legacy, though analysts expect some possible softening on race and Black history issues. The piece also suggests DeSantis is likely to remain a national political presence after leaving office.