The successes & failures of ron desantis

By Ben Everidge for Thomas

what worked and what didn’t …

As Governor Ron DeSantis completes his second term with his eyes fixed on a national office, Floridians are left to assess his legacy at home. Has the state become stronger under his leadership, or more divided? Like many politicians with sharp ideological edges, the truth lies somewhere in the tension between success and setback.

The Economic Boom

Under DeSantis, Florida’s economy roared back from the pandemic in record time. Unemployment dropped from a peak of nearly 15% in 2020 to under 3% by 2023. The state consistently posted budget surpluses and low taxes, earning praise from conservative economists and attracting businesses and families fleeing higher-cost, higher-regulation states like California and New York.

Tourism surged. Construction boomed. And in fiscal policy, DeSantis’s administration held the line: Florida kept its corporate tax rate low, avoided income taxes altogether, and even suspended the state gas tax during high-inflation months to provide relief at the pump.

COVID and the Culture Wars

But DeSantis's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, praised by conservatives for its restraint, became a defining fault line. He refused lockdown mandates, banned vaccine passports, and even suspended some local enforcement powers. While the economy rebounded swiftly, the health outcomes were more mixed. Florida’s death rate fell in the national middle, but hospital systems faced immense strain, especially among vulnerable elderly populations.

DeSantis parlayed his pandemic stardom into a broader cultural agenda: banning critical race theory in classrooms and workplace trainings, restricting discussions of gender identity and sexual orientation in early education, and targeting what he labeled “woke indoctrination” in higher education.

These policies endeared him to the national conservative base. Still, they inflamed tensions with LGBTQ+ advocates, civil rights organizations, and corporate giants like Disney, which opposed the so-called “Don’t Say Gay” law. Legal challenges ensued. Some parts of the “Stop WOKE Act” were blocked by federal courts as unconstitutional, a reminder that ideological overreach can quickly become a legal liability.

Hurricanes and Homeland Management

Where DeSantis shone most consistently was in disaster response. His early declaration of emergencies and coordination with FEMA during Hurricane Ian in 2022 earned bipartisan praise including from President Biden. Relief efforts were fast, coordinated, and technologically adaptive, with early use of Starlink satellite communications in hard-hit areas.

He also pushed for significant investments in infrastructure resilience, including record funding for Everglades restoration, although environmentalists argue that it still falls short of what is needed to prepare for rising seas and climate-related risks.

Education and Workforce

Florida’s education system has seen both reform and friction. The governor increased starting teacher salaries, expanded school choice and voucher programs, and emphasized vocational education. National rankings for K-12 performance improved, with notable strengths in math and reading proficiency.

However, his aggressive push to remake public universities in a conservative mold, including high-profile changes at the New College of Florida, drew condemnation from faculty and student groups alike, with critics claiming that it politicizes institutions meant to foster open inquiry.

Legal Setbacks and Ethics Questions

In recent months, DeSantis has encountered turbulence. A Supreme Court ruling in July 2025 blocked portions of his immigration crackdown law, which would have allowed state law enforcement to detain undocumented migrants under criminal penalties, raising constitutional questions about state overreach into federal jurisdiction.

Meanwhile, a charity founded by Florida First Lady Casey DeSantis, Hope Florida, is under investigation for alleged misuse of settlement funds and insufficient financial transparency. Though no wrongdoing has been proven, the headlines cast a shadow on an administration long viewed as politically meticulous.

Voter Access and Democracy Concerns

Voting rights advocates point to SB 90 and other legislation passed under DeSantis as weakening democracy in the name of “election integrity.” Restrictions on mail-in ballots, limits on third-party registration groups, and new ID requirements disproportionately affected seniors, students, and minority voters. Critics say the laws are designed to depress turnout in traditionally Democratic constituencies.

He has also supported efforts to limit constitutional amendments through citizen petitions, drawing fire from groups that view ballot initiatives as vital checks on Tallahassee's power.

The Verdict on DeSantis

Ron DeSantis leaves behind a Florida that is wealthier, more conservative, and some would say, more combative than it was when he took office in 2019.

What worked: economic expansion, hurricane response, and conservative legislative cohesion.

What didn’t: legal overreach, social policy backlash, and growing distrust in the state’s commitment to nonpartisan governance.

For Florida’s next generation of leaders, the DeSantis era offers a dual lesson: governing boldly can deliver results, but doing so without consensus may leave deep fissures that take years to heal.