Photo: Government of Florida / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Developing story
Outgoing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Republican losses in the midterm elections are close to an extinction-level event for the party in many parts of the country. He said Florida was the one big state to hold the line and warned that the party’s national prospects depend on Texas.
Outgoing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said on Wednesday, Nov. 4, that Republican losses in the midterm elections are “close to an extinction-level event” for the party in many parts of the country, according to Fox News.
Republicans lost control of both the House and the Senate on Election Day, Fox News reported. Rep. Byron Donalds, a Florida Republican, won the race for DeSantis’ seat even as other GOP candidates lost governor’s races around the country.
DeSantis said voters were not endorsing Democrats. “This was a rejection of Republicans in Washington,” he said. He also said Democrats “did not earn a mandate to indulge all their left-wing fantasies.”
DeSantis described the night as “the political equivalent of a meteor strike.” He said that in January, Florida will be the only one of the 10 largest states under Republican control, once term-limited and defeated officeholders leave.
He pointed to Texas as a major loss. According to DeSantis, Texas Republicans lost a high-profile U.S. Senate race, the governor’s office, the attorney general’s office and other statewide posts. He said they also lost four Republican seats on the Texas Supreme Court.
DeSantis said Republicans “may even lose” the Texas Legislature, one chamber or both. The Fox News report did not give vote totals or final results for these races.
He warned that without Texas as an anchor, “we are not going to be viable nationally going forward.”
DeSantis predicted Republicans cannot retake the Senate in 2028 under the current map. He said retaking the House is also probably not viable. He said it could be two, four or six years, “maybe even longer,” before Republicans again hold unified control in Washington. DeSantis has not ruled out a 2028 presidential run, Fox News reported.
Sources
This story is developing and will be updated.
What it means for you
- DeSantis says that in January, Florida will be the only one of the 10 largest states under Republican control.
- DeSantis says Democrats won on frustration with Republicans in Washington, not on a mandate for their own agenda.
- DeSantis says the Texas losses could hurt Republicans for a decade or more.
- DeSantis predicts Republicans will struggle to retake the Senate in 2028 and the House after that, and that unified GOP control in Washington could be years away.