Forgive Florida voters for feeling a little whiplash.
Ron DeSantis appeared unstoppable in late 2022.
He had just won re-election, thumping his opponent by nearly 20 percentage points in a victory attributed in large part to voters rewarding him for his handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
But this week, he dropped out of the Republican presidential race after a single contest, in Iowa, where he received a thumping of his own, losing to former President Donald J. Trump by about 30 points.
“I thought he was going to go all the way,” said Taylor Brame, 24, who moved to Florida in part because she was a fan of Mr. DeSantis’s minimal restrictions during the pandemic.
Persons:
Ron DeSantis, Donald J, ”, Taylor Brame
Organizations:
Florida, Republican, Trump
Locations:
Iowa, Florida