During a recent CNN interview, Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis refuted an analysis claiming his policies hurt his electability with suburban moms, asserting that his policies actually resonated with them in Florida. He emphasized the proof of his success, winning the state by 20 percentage points with the support of suburban moms, making parents’ rights a priority in education, advocating for school choice, and promoting economic opportunity, which contributed to Florida’s ranking as the top economy among all states.
DeSantis attributed the slight dip in his poll numbers to increased media attention after his victory, followed by his focus on governing as Florida’s governor during the legislative session rather than immediate campaigning. He dismissed the analysis as wrong, pointing out that his campaign is a state-by-state process, not focused on national polls or media attention. Instead, he is focused on building a strong organization and mobilizing a ground game in early states like Iowa, South Carolina, and New Hampshire.
The candidate also addressed false narratives spread by opponents in the past, including a CNN poll from 2018 that had him trailing by 15 points before ultimately winning the Florida governorship. He highlighted his successful fundraising, outperforming both Biden and Trump in the second quarter, despite just being a governor at the time.
As the interview concluded, host Jake Tapper voiced his disbelief in the accuracy of the 2018 poll, indicating his agreement with DeSantis’s perspective. For the conservative audience, DeSantis’s firm defense of his policies and record reflects his commitment to conservative values and his focus on addressing the concerns of everyday Americans, particularly suburban moms, whose support he values and seeks to retain throughout his campaign.
