Trump and DeSantis-Backed Candidates Fall Short in Florida Primary

In Florida’s recent primary elections, candidates backed by both Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis faced some defeats.

Governor Ron DeSantis, who has been promoting his conservative education agenda, saw several of his endorsed school board candidates lose in key counties. In Pinellas County, incumbent school board chair Laura Hine and member Eileen Long successfully defended their seats, resisting the push for a conservative majority that opponents argued would have caused instability in the district.

Similarly, in Hillsborough County, two school board incumbents targeted by DeSantis also managed to retain their positions despite facing challengers with the governor’s endorsement.

In Broward County, two board members appointed by DeSantis were unseated by challengers in an election that many saw as a reflection of local voter preferences rather than a direct critique of the governor’s broader policies.

On the state level, a Trump-endorsed candidate for Florida’s 7th State Senate District, David Shoar, was defeated by State Representative Tom Leek, who had DeSantis’s backing. Despite Trump’s strong endorsement, Shoar was unable to secure enough support to win, with voters favoring Leek’s experience and policy positions.

For DeSantis, the defeats might suggest that voters are pushing back against his strong efforts to change Florida’s education system. For Trump, the mixed results of his endorsements could indicate that his influence in the Republican Party may be fading, even in a state where he has traditionally been very popular.