TAMPA, Fla. — Governor Ron DeSantis filed to run for president Wednesday, ending months of speculation.
We're rounding up some information you may or may not know about our state's 46th governor, Ronald Dion DeSantis, 44.
DeSantis' roots
DeSantis is a native Floridian. He was born in Jacksonville and grew up in Orlando and Dunedin. He graduated from Dunedin High School in 1997, according to Bill Track 50.
After he graduated high school, DeSantis went to Yale, where he graduated in 2001 with a degree in history. According to the Florida Department of State, DeSantis worked his way through Yale. He graduated with honors and was captain of the varsity baseball team.
DeSantis worked as a history teacher for a year after Yale; then he went to Harvard Law School, where he received a Juris Doctor cum laude in 2005, according to Ballotpedia.
DeSantis worked as a prosecutor before he was elected to Congress in 2012.
DeSantis' family
DeSantis married his wife Casey in 2009 at Disney World, according to his memoir, "The Courage to Be Free." Together they have three children, Madison, Mason and Mamie.
Casey DeSantis is an Emmy-award-winning television host.
DeSantis' political history
DeSantis was elected to Congress in 2012 as the U.S. representative for Florida's Sixth District, according to the Florida Department of State. According to Britannica, DeSantis announced his bid for the Senate in 2015 but withdrew it when incumbent Marco Rubio sought reelection.
In 2018, DeSantis ran for governor and narrowly beat out Andrew Gillum. In 2022, DeSantis sought and won reelection as governor.
DeSantis' history in the Navy
While he attended Harvard, DeSantis joined the Navy and became a JAG (Judge Advocate General) officer. During that time, DeSantis supported operations at Guantanamo Bay, according to the Florida Department of State. He also deployed to Iraq as an adviser to a U.S. Navy SEAL commander in support of the SEAL mission in Fallujah, Ramadi, and the rest of Al Anbar province.
According to the governor's website, DeSantis' military decorations include the Bronze Star Medal for Meritorious Service and the Iraq Campaign Medal.
