Kate Payne - Associated Press/Report For America

He's known for his socially conservative stances and is a fierce defender of Israel.

The Republican was appointed to become Florida's chief financial officer in 2017 and won election to the post twice.

Gov. Ron DeSantis recently spoke up his wife, Casey, saying she'd be a qualified candidate to replace him in 2026.

DeSantis touted his wife as a staunch conservative who would build on his legacy and argued that the state's first lady could pull in even more voters than he did. The comments came days after the president threw his support behind Florida Republican and U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed off on state immigration legislation he called the toughest in the nation, and ex-federal prosecutor Larry Keefe was named executive director of Florida's immigration board. Meanwhile, Florida lawmakers have rushed to pass laws and budget funds to help President Donald Trump's strategy of mass deportations.

A slate of congressional hopefuls are vying to win their Florida primaries in special elections to replace two high-profile House Republicans. Holding onto the reliably conservative seats could maintain the Republicans’ narrow House majority as they try to approve President Donald Trump’s agenda.

Currently, Florida students who are without such permission can qualify for in-state tuition at public colleges and universities. Sen. Randy Fine has also filed a bill that would repeal that provision.

DeSantis announced Monday he’s scheduling the special session for the week of Jan. 27, the week after Trump is sworn in, so that state lawmakers will be poised to help implement the incoming president’s policies immediately.

Speaking at the National Conservatism Conference in 2021, political scientist Scott Yenor detailed what he sees as the “evils” of feminism, labeled “independent women” as “medicated, meddlesome and quarrelsome” and decried colleges and universities as "the citadels of our gynecocracy” — a form of government run by women.

The appointments to the public university in Florida’s western panhandle come two years after DeSantis tapped six new board members to oversee New College of Florida, in what critics say was a hostile political takeover of the small progressive school.