Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has become a leading culture warrior for the GOP and is expected to run for president. In a recent move, his administration is planning to forbid any classroom instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity through senior year of high school. This would expand upon the controversial law the governor signed last year that banned such instruction from kindergarten through third grade.
Florida Governor DeSantis face of the culture wars
Reporter Claudia Grisales, who recently visited Florida, spoke to Latino conservative voters in Miami-Dade County who have a lot of excitement and energy for Governor DeSantis. They relate to his approach to the culture wars and see him as a stronger figure than ex-President Trump. Grisales notes that these voters feel abandoned by Democrats and see Republicans as doing a better job, especially paying attention to the issues in Latin America and some of the regimes they’re worried about.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has been successful in appealing to culturally conservative voters and Republicans see this as a wedge issue that could potentially win over independents and split or divide Democrats. Polling suggests that more than two-thirds of Republicans in Florida support the governor’s bill that limits discussions about gender and sexual orientation in schools, with about a fifth of Democrats in favor of it. Nationally, 51% of Americans support banning teachers from teaching about sexual orientation or gender identity in K-3, but it’s unclear how this issue will play out in a general election versus a primary.
Florida governor gearing up for presidential run
It’s important to note that DeSantis will need to walk a fine line on some of these culture war issues, particularly as he aims to pull over white-collar Republicans who have college degrees and make more money. Overall, DeSantis’ move to forbid classroom instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity has sparked controversy and will likely continue to be a hot-button issue as the governor eyes a presidential run.