OPINION:
As lieutenant governor of Florida, I have had the privilege of witnessing Gov. Ron DeSantis’ courageous leadership in the most challenging of times, including when he made the call to force the state’s schools to reopen for in-person education.
I was vividly aware of the headwinds our governor was facing as COVID-19 hysteria reached its peak in the summer of 2020.
Left-wing media outlets accused him of embarking on “a death march.” Democratic leaders in our state slammed his approach as “reckless” and “arrogant.”
Florida’s largest teachers union went so far as to sue to block his school reopening plan, demonstrating wanton disregard for the benefit of our students.
It’s easy to forget now, in the wake of the governor’s historic 2022 reelection victory, but at the time, the conventional wisdom was that his aggressive push to reopen Florida was the death of his political career.
“Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ popularity plummets amid widely panned coronavirus response,” the Tallahassee Democrat blared. “How the coronavirus undid Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis,” a headline in Yahoo News read.
But Mr. DeSantis knew he was right — and he wasn’t going to be bullied by the teachers unions, the national media, the public health bureaucracy, or even the White House.
The “highest form of success,” President Theodore Roosevelt wrote, “comes not to the man who desires mere easy peace, but to the man who does not shrink from danger, from hardship, or from bitter toil.”
Our governor earned the respect and gratitude of millions of his fellow Americans for his leadership under fire.
Mr. DeSantis is one of the few public servants who actually live by their principles. In our five years serving together, I never saw the governor make a decision based on public opinion polls, media chatter, or the desire for praise. He is motivated by one thing — the best interests of the people he was elected to serve.
During the pandemic, Mr. DeSantis quickly saw that the conventional wisdom being peddled by virtually every major authority in the country was disastrously wrong. His rejection of the guidance of Dr. Anthony Fauci made him the subject of more aggressive attacks than any other politician in the country.
I watched as some — even some Republicans — urged him to simply keep his head down and follow lockdown orthodoxy.
Through it all, he stood for what was right, even when it meant he had to stand alone. He rejected Dr. Fauci and instead chose freedom, forging a path for Florida that propelled our state to success.
The same is true of his leadership on education. As parents across the country saw their rights attacked and their freedoms restricted, Mr. DeSantis enacted the most staunchly pro-parent, pro-family agenda in American history.
From family tax relief to the largest expansion of school choice in our nation’s history, from ending indoctrination in schools to staring down Disney during our battle over parental rights, from defunding diversity, equity and inclusion programs to helping elect dozens of pro-parent school board candidates across our statem the governor made it clear that he was going to protect our parents and families from the “woke” mob.
The wins that Mr. DeSantis has delivered for Florida — including banning environmental, social and governance policies, enacting constitutional carry, protecting life, restoring the biological integrity of women’s sports, cracking down on gender ideology, and ending the horrific practice of gender transformation surgery for minors — are too numerous to list.
Not coincidentally, the governor just won the largest victory of any Republican gubernatorial candidate in the history of Florida. The voters of our state know who Ron DeSantis is. We watched him brave the attacks, make the tough calls, and deliver the results that have made Florida the national model for conservative governance.
When it counted most, he stood with them. In return, Florida voters stood with him.
Finally, Mr. DeSantis knows that decline is a choice, and because of his leadership, it is a choice that Florida has rejected. Florida is thriving, even as much of our nation is headed in the wrong direction.
While left-wing states suffer from declining populations, growing tax burdens, and fleeing businesses, Florida is the fastest-growing state in the nation.
As our national economy flounders, Florida enjoys the highest rate of new business formation in the country.
As the education system fails parents and students across the country, Florida is ranked No. 1 for higher education, education freedom, parental involvement in education, and overall education.
As violent crime terrorizes communities elsewhere, Florida’s crime rate is at a 50-year low.
True patriotism means putting your country’s interests over your own. It’s a virtue that is sorely lacking in our politics today.
Mr. DeSantis embodies the spirit of sacrifice and love of the country. Whether serving our nation overseas in Iraq or leading our state as its governor, he has displayed the kind of courage that can and will restore our country.
That’s the kind of leadership our nation needs in the White House. Ron DeSantis is the man for this moment, and I’m proud to support him in his campaign for president of the United States of America.
• Jeanette Nunez is lieutenant governor of Florida.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.