Florida first lady Casey DeSantis is considering running to succeed her husband as the Sunshine State’s governor next year, sources told The Post on Friday.
Republican donors are pushing Casey to run in 2026 because her husband, current Gov. Ron DeSantis, cannot seek a third four-year term.
“This has always been in the plans. She’s as ambitious as he is,” a source close to Casey’s camp said.
Republican donors in Florida are reportedly pushing Casey DeSantis to run for governor. REUTERS
DeSantis, 44, is now open to the idea of running for governor, sources say. REUTERS“They’ve always seen themselves as a new emerging political power couple. She is considering a run and is talking to a lot of different people about the possibilities. She wants it very much.”
The prospect of Casey DeSantis, 44, becoming Florida’s first female governor was openly touted at a gathering last week in Palm Beach County, according to NBC News.
Republican donors are encouraging her to run, the outlet said.
DeSantis, a former local news anchor in Jacksonville as well as an ex-host on the Golf Channel, has been a consistent supportive presence during her husband’s political campaigns — including both his successful runs for Florida governor and his failed bid for the White House last year — earning her national recognition that could make her a formidable candidate.
Other potential candidates in the Republican primary include Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.), a close ally of President Trump; former Rep. Matt Gaetz, who resigned from Congress last year amid an ethics investigation; and current state Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson, who has frequently butted heads with the current governor.
Ron DeSantis views his wife’s potential candidacy “as his best opportunity to set the future leaderships for the state and prevent a Simpson or Donalds governorship,” another source familiar with the thinking told NBC.
The Post has reached out to the offices of both Ron and Casey DeSantis for comment.
Casey DeSantis was a loud supporter of her husband on the campaign trail when he ran for president. Getty ImagesThe former Casey Black met Ron DeSantis on a golf course at Naval Station Mayport, and the couple married at Disney World in 2009.
She became Florida’s youngest-ever first lady in history at the age of 38 when Ron was sworn in as governor in 2019.
Florida is one of 18 states to have never elected a female chief executive.
