To win reelection, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis harnessed the power of one of the most coveted groups of voters anywhere — motivated parents. The strategy could build a key pillar of support if, as widely expected, he runs for president in 2024.
The Republican governor was able to tap into a cohort of riled-up parents by exerting his influence in local school board races. With endorsements and campaign cash for dozens of candidates who share his ideology, DeSantis found a way to both stoke fury among moms and dads and then harness it for his own political gain. School-board races boosted Republican turnout by at least 5 percentage points across Florida in 2022, according to the governor.
Those motivated voters helped deliver a landslide reelection win, even in places Republicans used to write off like Latino-heavy Miami-Dade County.
