What Florida Got Right:
The Moms Behind the Red Wave

Everyone expected Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to win reelection, but no one anticipated the stunning 20-point landslide on Tuesday. Floridians made it clear: they want pro-family, pro-freedom leadership. While Republicans across the country were expecting favorable results, not all of them won, and few won as decisively as DeSantis.

What was behind the magic in Florida? Moms!

Governor DeSantis was unafraid to speak directly about the issues that most concern moms: border security, inflation, woke gender ideology aimed at kids. While many Republicans who lost races in other states avoided the big issues, Governor DeSantis boldly offered an alternative. He did not shy away from talking about the topics we discuss around the dinner table and the concerns that keep us up at night.

Governor DeSantis took decisive action on the issues that matter to moms. From affirming parental rights to expanding school choice, banning Critical Race theory in the classroom and protecting children from radical ideological indoctrination, Governor DeSantis stood for truth, freedom, and common sense. He put Florida children first, not a political agenda.

Governor DeSantis invited moms to attend important bill signing events, asked for their input on policy and legislation, and listened to their concerns. Moms across the country began looking at Governor DeSantis as the model for good leadership they want to see in their own states.

Moms are not fooled by throwaway lines and cheap promises. When a leader has a clear and strong message in support of the Constitution and the American family, moms will listen. If they also have a track record of following through on those promises, moms will vote. And vote they did!

Governor DeSantis’s outreach to Florida women shows just how effective mothers are in changing the outcome of an election. When moms are engaged and voting, pro-liberty leadership wins. This was the secret to Florida’s big win – the Mom Factor.

It was local groups of like Moms for America and Moms for Liberty, who worked tirelessly from the kitchen tables and their own backyards to protect their kids and mobilize moms to get out the vote. Florida First Lady, Casey DeSantis, launched a Mamas for DeSantis campaign and Florida moms immediately embraced it holding rallies and filling their Instagram accounts with their “Mamas for DeSantis” T-shirt selfies. The Mamas for DeSantis campaign galvanized more than one million Florida moms who care about pro-family, pro-freedom issues and want Florida to be guided by Constitutional principles.

Conservatives in other states should take note. Governor DeSantis won by taking the real issues seriously and taking action to protect and defend American families. When Florida lifted draconian mandates, banned dangerous radical ideology in the classroom, and called attention to the border crisis, the state was derided and mocked. The votes tell a different story; Florida moms want more of the policies that respect the principles of the Constitution and allow families to flourish.

In his victory speech, Governor DeSantis was direct. He noted that his leadership focused on freedom and rejected woke ideology. He said, “We fight ‘the woke’ in the Legislature. We fight ‘the woke’ in the schools. We fight ‘the woke’ in the corporation, and we will never ever surrender to the woke mob – Florida is where woke goes to die!”

If other Republicans want to win, they need to pay attention to what moms care about. We are the backbone of our civil society, and when politicians speak – and act – on the issues that matter most to moms, they can have a meteoric rise. Just ask Governor Ron DeSantis.

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