Ron DeSantis
DeSantis is signing first-in-nation AI data-center rules, driving a record pace of executions, fighting courts over the Stop WOKE Act and property-tax ballot language, and sparring with national Democrats — all from a high-volume governing posture that keeps him in the 2028 Republican conversation.
Ron DeSantis is running Florida with a high-volume, combative governing style that keeps him in the national Republican conversation. His most consequential recent move: signing the first U.S. state law regulating hyperscale AI data centers, requiring large facilities to bear their own electricity costs, restoring local governments' authority to reject projects, and mandating water-permit protections. DeSantis says the law "protects consumers from footing the bill for any hyperscale data center in the state of Florida" — a break with Trump's "Build, Baby, Build!" AI push, and one he signed over the objection of House Speaker Daniel Perez, who argued such protections belong at the federal level.
On capital punishment, DeSantis signed death warrants for James Duckett and Dominick Occhicone, carried out July 28 in Florida's first double execution since 1964. He frames the pace as victim-driven, saying "We're doing it to be able to bring justice to the victims' families" and "If I honestly thought someone was innocent, I would not pull the trigger." His administration has overseen a surge in executions of elderly inmates, with more scheduled in 2026.
DeSantis is also fighting on two legal fronts. After the 11th Circuit struck down the Stop WOKE Act's higher-education provisions, he called it "judicial overreach" and said the state has a responsibility to exclude "indoctrination and ideological agendas" from universities; he and Attorney General James Uthmeier are weighing an appeal to the full circuit or the Supreme Court. On Amendment 3, a property-tax-cut ballot measure raising the homestead exemption to $250,000, DeSantis tasked Uthmeier with rewriting ballot language after a court found the original wording misleading. He warned opponents — including former Republican state senator Jeff Brandes, who sued to block the language — that forcing a rewrite could "backfire."
He signed legislation renaming Palm Beach International Airport for President Trump, the first sitting president with a U.S. airport named in his honor. And he continues jabbing national Democrats: mocking Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's Memphis rally accent as surpassing "Hillary's fake accent to shame in terms of pure absurdity," and attacking DSA co-chair Gustavo Gordillo's proposals as showing a desire "to get rid of the entire Constitution." He dismissed CNBC's 2026 quality-of-life rankings — which placed Republican-led states worst — as contradicted by migration data, arguing people wouldn't move to states that are bad to live in.
On their plate
DeSantis signed the first U.S. state law regulating hyperscale AI data centers, requiring them to bear their own electricity costs, restoring local authority to veto projects, and mandating water-permit protections. He signed it over House Speaker Daniel Perez's objection that such rules belong at the federal level, and the law puts Florida at odds with Trump's pro-buildout AI agenda.
DeSantis signed death warrants for a July 28 double execution — Florida's first since 1964 — and says his administration is on pace to carry out more executions than any in state history. He has driven a surge in executions of elderly death row inmates, justifying the pace by saying 'justice delayed is justice denied' and framing each as justice for victims' families.
After the 11th Circuit struck down the Stop WOKE Act's higher-education provisions as judicial overreach, DeSantis insisted the state must exclude 'indoctrination and ideological agendas' from universities. He and AG James Uthmeier are weighing appeal to the full circuit or SCOTUS.
DeSantis backs Amendment 3, which raises the homestead exemption to $250,000 and lowers commercial assessment caps. After a court found the original ballot language misleading, he tasked AG Uthmeier with drafting neutral wording and warned opponents suing over the language — including former GOP senator Jeff Brandes — that forcing a rewrite could backfire.
DeSantis signed legislation renaming Palm Beach International Airport for Trump, defended Florida's ban on minors at adult live performances after the 11th Circuit upheld it, mocked Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's Memphis rally accent, and attacked DSA co-chair Gustavo Gordillo's proposals as unconstitutional — all consistent with a governor keeping a national media presence.
Key relationships
DeSantis tasked his attorney general with drafting neutral ballot language for Amendment 3 after a court ruling and with weighing appeal of the Stop WOKE Act ruling.
DeSantis attacked DSA co-chair Gordillo's Fox News appearance, saying his proposals to eliminate the U.S. Senate showed a desire 'to get rid of the entire Constitution.'
Former Republican state senator Brandes sued to block Amendment 3's ballot language as partial and advocacy-driven; DeSantis warned 'big government advocates' to 'be careful what you wish for.'
DeSantis mocked Ocasio-Cortez's Memphis rally Southern accent, saying it 'puts Hillary's fake accent to shame in terms of pure absurdity.'
DeSantis and Oklahoma Governor Stitt jointly pushed back against CNBC's quality-of-life rankings, both citing migration trends to argue the rankings were wrong.
House Speaker Perez argued AI data-center protections should be addressed at the federal level; DeSantis signed the bill over his objection.
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