Losses for two candidates backed by DeSantis hurts ability to portray himself as a winner
Donna Deegan, Jacksonville's first female mayor, cheered by supporters Elected Tuesday, May 16, 2023, as Jacksonville's first female mayor, Democra...
Donna Deegan, Jacksonville's first female mayor, cheered by supporters Elected Tuesday, May 16, 2023, as Jacksonville's first female mayor, Democrat Donna Deegan is greeted by chants of "Yes we did!" from her supporters. Gov. Ron DeSantis is promoting himself as a leader who can restore a winning mentality to the GOP, but on Tuesday he tied himself to two losing Republican candidates. DeSantis endorsed candidates for governor in Kentucky and mayor in Jacksonville ; both lost, puncturing DeSantis' winning aura and, with the Jacksonville election , helping to revive a Florida Democratic Party that the governor had pronounced dead and buried after his dominating 2022 re-election win.