Republican donors at a gathering last week in Palm Beach County openly discussed the prospect of Casey DeSantis running for governor in 2026. Florida’s first lady is seriously considering the idea, as her husband, Governor Ron DeSantis, faces term limits and cannot seek re-election.
Is this a new political dynasty in the making?
Casey DeSantis has long been a strong presence on the campaign trail for her husband. However, recent discussions with top donors have made her seriously consider the possibility of becoming governor in her own right. “I would say this: I have heard donors have been urging her to run, and that while it’s not something she has wanted to do, they are causing her to at least stop and listen,” one source familiar with her thinking said.
Casey DeSantis has a diverse background that includes experience in journalism, television, and public service. More importantly, she has garnered experience as Florida’s First Lady. In that position, she launched several initiatives focused on mental health, cancer research, and economic self-sufficiency. Notably, she spearheaded the “Hope Florida – A Pathway to Prosperity” initiative, which helps Floridians achieve economic self-sufficiency through collaboration between the private sector, faith-based community, nonprofits, and government entities.
Her entrance into the 2026 Republican primary field would have significant ripple effects across both the Florida and national political landscapes for multiple reasons.
The first of these is that Donald Trump has his own candidate in mind for that position, a loyalist who would essentially enact the Trump agenda in Florida. The other Republican who has openly said he is considering a run for governor is Rep. Byron Donalds, a close Trump ally. A potential run by Casey DeSantis could set up a proxy war between Governor Ron DeSantis and President Donald Trump to test who has more political clout in Florida.
For the time being, Casey has tried spinning this hypothetical run for office as a tribute to her husband, whom she called “a rock star.”
“I will tell you this, when people talk about me running for governor, I think it speaks highly about the governor himself,” she told the “Conservative Review” podcast in May. “I think when people see me, it is because they are so happy about everything that this governor has done for the state of Florida.” The statement suggests that if she were to win the office the DeSantis agenda of conservative legislation for Florida would be continuing, setting up a sort of dynastic legacy for Ron DeSantis.
An insider has stated, “The governor sees his wife’s running as his best opportunity to set the future leaderships for the state and prevent a Simpson or Donalds governorship,” and suggested that “That’s what finally opened him up to a Casey run.”
DeSantis is prepared to use his state-level political committee, the Florida Freedom Fund, to back a candidate in the 2026 governor’s race. He already availed himself of that prerogative last year to further his conservative agenda—in that case it was to defeat ballot measures that would have legalized recreational marijuana in the state, and another that would have enshrined abortion rights in the Florida Constitution. This time it would be to push his wife’s candidacy.
The relationship between Governor DeSantis and President Trump has been a fraught one, with many ups and downs. Initially, Trump was a strong supporter of DeSantis, endorsing him early in his 2018 gubernatorial campaign. DeSantis often praised Trump and credited his endorsement for his victory.
However, their relationship soured during the 2024 Republican presidential primaries when DeSantis decided to run against Trump. This led to a high-profile falling-out, with both men exchanging public criticisms. Now that Trump has once again become president, DeSantis has had to rebuild his ties with him, including supporting Trump’s immigration agenda and meeting with him for a round of golf. This new cooperation, even if it is due only to political expediency for DeSantis, may come to a halt if his wife does throw her hat in the ring.
