Ron DeSantis 2022 Florida Governor Race Victory Speech [Transcript]

Note: This speech was transcribed and proofread by SpeakWrite professionals . As with all SpeakWrite transcripts, no AI was utilized to transcribe this speech.

Governor DeSantis:  Thank you very much.  Well, thank you so much.  You know, over these past 4 years, we’ve seen major challenges for the people of our state, for the citizens of the United States, and above all, for the cause of freedom.  We saw freedom in our very way of life and so many other jurisdictions in this country whither on the vine.  Florida held the line.  We chose facts over fear.  We chose education over indoctrination.  We chose law and order over rioting and disorder.  Florida was a refuge of sanity when the world went mad.  We stood as a citadel of freedom for people across this country and indeed, across the world.  We faced the tax, we took the hits, we weathered the storms, but we stood our ground.  We did not back down.  We had the conviction to guide us and we had the courage to lead.  We made promises.  We made promises to the people of Florida and we have delivered on those promises.  And so today, after 4 years, the people have delivered their verdict.  Freedom is here to stay.  Thank you very much.  Now, thanks to the overwhelming support of the people of Florida, we not only won election, we have rewritten the political map.  Thank you for honoring us with a win for the ages.  I want to thank all of our campaign staff, from Campaign Manager Janera Pack down, this was the best-run campaign in the history of Florida politics.  I want to thank all of our wonderful volunteers who worked so hard to get out the vote, your support means the world to Casey and I.  God bless you and thank you.  Now it’s a lot easier to run a great campaign when you’ve got a great record to run on, and I would not have been able to see the level of accomplishments that we saw unless I had outstanding personnel working in the executive office of the governor, as well as heading state agencies.  These folks worked hard to implement our agenda.  They believed in our agenda, and the results have been historic.  Thank you for your support and work.  Thank you to Miami, Dade County.  Thank you to Palm Beach County.  Now, we’re still tallying the votes, but it’s clearly apparent that this election, we will have garnered a significant number of votes from people who may not have voted for me 4 years ago, and I just want to let you know, I am honored to have earned your trust and your support over these 4 years.  And most important of all, thank you to the greatest first lady in all 50 states for being a great wife, giving unwavering support, being a tremendous mother to our three young children, and serving as an example for women throughout this state, especially going through the battle of cancer, she is remarkable.  Now today is the culmination of the 2022 fall elections, but in reality, Americans have been voting for many years now.  They’ve been voting with their feet, and the results of that behavior has been just as stark as our landslide victory today.  States and cities governed by leftist politicians have seen crime skyrocket.  They’ve seen their taxpayers abused.  They’ve seen medical authoritarianism imposed and they’ve seen American principles discarded.  The woke agenda has caused millions of Americans to leave these jurisdictions for greener pastures.  Now this great exodus of Americans, for those folks, Florida, for so many of them, has served as the promised land.  We have embraced freedom.  We have maintained law and order.  We have protected the rights of parents.  We have respected our taxpayers.  And we reject woke ideology.  We fight the woke in the legislature.  We fight the woke in the schools.  We fight the woke in the corporations.  We will never, ever surrender to the woke mob.  Florida is where woke goes to die.  People have come here because our policies work.  Leadership matters.  We refuse to use polls and put our finger in the wind.  Leaders don’t follow; they lead.  We set out a vision.  We executed on that vision.  And we produced historic results.  And the people of this state have responded in record fashion.  Now, while our country flounders due to failed leadership in Washington, Florida is on the right track.  I believe the survival of the American experiment requires a revival of true American principles.  Florida has proved that it can be done.  We offer a ray of hope that better days still lie ahead.  I am proud of our achievements in this state.  I am honored by your support, and I look forward to road ahead.  I have fought the good fight.  I have finished the race and this first curve, and I have kept the faith.  We’ve accomplished more than anybody thought possible 4 years ago, but we’ve got so much more to do and I have only begun to fight.  God bless you all.  Thank you very much.  Thank you for a historic landslide victory.