Ron DeSantis tests the waters in Ohio, gets an ovation from Republicans

WEST CHESTER, Ohio ‒ Florida Governor Ron DeSantis hasn't announced his run for president yet.

But he's sure acting like a presidential candidate.

DeSantis received an enthusiastic welcome from hundreds of Ohio Republicans Thursday. He didn't make a presidential announcement. But some of the Republicans who came out to see him wished he would.

More than 900 Republicans dined with DeSantis and his wife, Casey, Thursday evening in Butler County, a Republican-heavy suburb just north of Cincinnati. Donald Trump won Butler County with 61% of the vote in 2020. Thursday morning, DeSantis breakfasted with Republicans in the Akron region.

Among the 900 Republicans in Butler County were Lenora and Larry Johnson, who drove from their home in Dayton Thursday to see DeSantis. He's got Lenora Johnson's vote. Larry Johnson said he could see himself voting for DeSantis or other candidates who aren't former President Donald Trump.

"Personally, I don’t want to see Trump as the face of my party anymore, because he has no class," Larry Johnson, 56, said. "We need someone with class."

DeSantis' visit drew heat in his home state of Florida, where floodwaters have inundated Fort Lauderdale and the southern part of the state. The phrase "Where's Ron?" trended on Twitter.

But in Ohio, the 2024 presidential race took center stage at the Akron and Butler County events, both Lincoln Day fundraisers for the local county GOP.

"What an honor to have the governor come 1,500 miles to visit us, right?" Butler County GOP Chairman Todd Hall told the crowd Thursday night.

DeSantis still trails Trump in polls

Polls show DeSantis is a leading challenger to former President Donald Trump in the growing Republican Primary field. But he's still far behind Trump in the polls. A Real Clear Politics average of presidential polls shows Trump with 51% of the vote and DeSantis second with 25%.

While DeSantis hasn't officially announced his candidacy, he's making moves toward a campaign. DeSantis in early March visited Iowa, where the caucuses are the first contest in the presidential primary. After Ohio, DeSantis will head to the early primary states of New Hampshire and South Carolina.

He's also scheduled trips around the country to promote his book, "The Courage to Be Free: Florida's Blueprint for America's Revival."

So far, at least four Republicans have announced a run for president: Trump, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, Cincinnati native and biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy.

'Woke' a big topic for Gov. Ron DeSantis

DeSantis, in an 18-minute speech Thursday night, didn't announce his run for president. But he did highlight his resume and the Republican victories in Florida, including in 2022 winning all statewide offices for the first time since the Civil War. He also used the word "woke" frequently, a word used by Republicans as a pejorative on many culture war issues.

"Our state is where woke goes to die," DeSantis said.

He got the loudest applause from the nearly 1,000 Republicans gathered Thursday night when he spoke about his opposition to critical race theory and "gender ideology" in schools. Critical race theory is a college-level legal theory that educators say isn't taught in K-12 schools. Critics say it has influenced curriculum and policies around race, diversity and equity in Ohio's K-12 schools.

On transgender issues, Florida under DeSantis has banned gender-affirming care for youth and stopped healthcare providers from billing Medicaid for gender-affirming medical treatments.

"It’s wrong for schools to teach kids they were born in the wrong body or they can change their gender," DeSantis said Thursday night. "Gender ideology has no place in our school system. I don’t care if Disney doesn’t like it. I’m doing what’s right for my people and they can take a hike."

DeSantis vs. Disney fight will go to 'round two'

DeSantis didn't mention Trump or any of his other potential opponents in a presidential race. He did mention his other archnemesis, the Walt Disney Company. DeSantis in February stripped Disney's self-governing status after the company spoke out against DeSantis signing into law restrictions on the discussion of gender identity and sexual orientation in public schools.

The crowd applauded when he mentioned the power he took away from Disney. He assured the audience Disney won't win its fight to get its status back.

"No, that's not going to happen," DeSantis said. "There'll be round two."

DeSantis' wife, Casey DeSantis, joined him on stage for a 10-minute discussion. Casey DeSantis grew up in Troy, Ohio, a city of 26,000 that's 19 miles north of Dayton. She said this trip was her first visit back home in 20 years.

The DeSantises relayed the story of how they met, including getting married at Disney World.

"That was pre-woke era of Disney," the Florida governor said.

Many undecided but like DeSantis

DeSantis drew a large audience in Ohio. Hundreds of Ohio Republicans snaked around the parking lot to get into the reception hall in Butler County for DeSantis' speech.

DeSantis saw his national profile rise during the COVID-19 pandemic as he fought restrictions and shutdowns. He's remained in the headlines with a series of controversial actions, including sending planes of migrants to Martha's Vineyard.

Most who spoke to The Enquirer said they were undecided about the 2024 race but liked what they've seen from the Florida governor, even those who still like former President Donald Trump.

Trump still has the vote of West Chester residents Tom and Jackie O'Brien. But DeSantis could win their support. They said they haven't made up their mind about him.

"He's certainly done a fabulous job in Florida," Tom O'Brien, 72, said. "I like the fortitude. He's been certainly the predominant governor who has stood strong for conservative principles, working against Disney, just supporting what makes sense to American values as we know them."

Ohio, Florida Democrats slam visit

Democrats slammed DeSantis' visit to Ohio, saying he's not welcomed in the state. Florida Democrats criticized DeSantis for leaving the state while Fort Lauderdale and large portions of Southern Florida deal with historic flooding.

"Where’s Ron?" tweeted former U.S. Rep. Debbie Murcasel-Powell, a Democrat who represented Southern Florida from 2019 to 2021. "Not working for Floridians or assisting the flooded communities in SoFL, he’s actually violating ethics rules using official time to go to Ohio to “not-campaign” putting his political ambitions before the interest of Floridians.

In an online press conference Thursday morning, Ohio Democratic Chairwoman Liz Walters joined Democrats across the state and in Florida calling DeSantis an extremist.

DeSantis' anti-union legislation, his support of strict bans on abortion, and his actions on many culture war issues drew the condemnation Ohio and Florida Democrats Thursday morning.

"As Republicans, politicians In Ohio stumble all over themselves to embrace the most extreme wings of their party," Walters said. "Ron DeSantis' visit to the Buckeye State further exposes the deep divides in the Ohio Republican Party and puts their candidates in a tough spot."

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: What Ohio Republicans think of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis