Florida Governor Ron DeSantis was instrumental in turning Florida into a solidly Republican state, according to Fox News contributor Harold Ford Jr.
Former President Donald Trump easily defeated Vice President Kamala Harris in the Sunshine State on Tuesday—a result that came as no surprise, as polls had shown the former president with a clear lead over the vice president.
While President Joe Biden lost the state by just 3.5 percent in 2020, Trump appeared to be headed for a double-digit win at the time of publication. Even Miami-Dade County, which once leaned Democratic, backed Trump this year.
Ford, a former Democratic congressman, suggested during an election night broadcast on Fox News that DeSantis, who has served as the Florida governor since 2019, was responsible for turning the state red in recent years.
“DeSantis will probably a big part of that story,” said Ford. “It’s important to note that they also had an abortion initiative on the ballot there in Florida. And it looks like it’s going to win, the right to an abortion issue. 57-43, almost like the same numbers that Trump won with, maybe a little bit better.”
“So, people split the ticket there,” he added. “Perhaps some Republicans voted for that. You’ve got a strong governor there in Florida.”
Newsweek reached out for comment to the office of DeSantis via email on Tuesday night.
This is a developing story and will be updated.