TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — A Florida congressman who has the backing of President Donald Trump is jumping into a crowded contest for governor.
Rep. Ron DeSantis announced Friday that he will file the paperwork to make his campaign official. Gov. Rick Scott is leaving office in early 2019 due to term limits.
DeSantis is entering the race two weeks after Trump tweeted that DeSantis is "a brilliant young leader" who "would make a GREAT governor."
The 39-year-old politician is a U.S. Navy veteran and graduate of both Yale and Harvard who has represented a northeast Florida congressional district since 2013.
DeSantis took a swipe at other Republicans in his initial campaign announcement. He said he would "drain the swamp in Tallahassee that needs to be drained." Republicans have controlled state government for 20 years.
In an interview with WFTV radio partner WOKV, DeSantis said he wanted to use the work Scott has done to continue moving forward.
"We have an opportunity to build off what Gov. Scott has done over the last seven years, which I think he has done a great job," DeSantis said.
When Trump decided to endorse DeSantis, he broke with a longstanding tradition of presidents staying out of primary elections, Rollins College political science professor Dr. Rick Foglesong said.
"The old rule is presidents don't get involved in primaries," he said. "But there are no rules anymore, it seems."
Associated Press
