much more to come we do want to go to
Orlando there where Ron de santis is
about to give his acceptance speech of
course a big night for him becoming
Florida's next governor there he is on
the stage right there with his wife
Casey let's go ahead and listen in as
the crowd supports him and cheers him
again Ron de santis becoming Florida's
next governor he's being treated on
stage there by I believe that's the
lieutenant governor there Jeanette Nunez
and a big crowd of supporters out there
this all happening in Orlando tonight
big celebration it was close let's
listen it
[Applause]
about 15 minutes ago I spoke with Andrew
Gilliam and he very graciously conceded
the election he was a he was a very
formidable opponent and I wish him well
in his future endeavors
other than serving our nation in uniform
the opportunity to serve as the 46th
governor of the great state of Florida
is the greatest professional honour of
my life thank you the people of Florida
for your faith your support and your
trust you have placed in me not not bad
for a kid who started out making $6 an
hour now throughout the campaign I knew
the only thing I could fully control was
how hard I work and while I was
confident achieving a victory I was at
peace knowing that I worked as hard as I
possibly could and I left everything out
on the field when he spoke to the Ohio
regiment towards the end of the Civil
War Abraham Lincoln told the soldiers
assembled before him that freed the free
government for which they were fighting
provided everyone with an open field and
fair chance for their industry
enterprise and intelligence Lincoln was
born on the frontier and obscure
circumstances yet he rose to the highest
office in the land
he was living proof that these ideals
those soldiers were fighting for were
worth the sacrifice and I think my
election as governor in the nation's
third largest state is further proof
that regardless of where you start out
in life if you work hard if you do it
for the right reasons
you can succeed in the United States of
America
now when Casey and I launched this
effort in January the pundit class gave
us no chance and even today the
political media class seemed eager to
write our obituary but the great thing
about our country is that every two
years the people have that one day in
November where the elites don't call the
shots where they don't get to craft the
narrative and where they don't get to
set the agenda on Election Day it's the
voice of the people that rules
now as governor I'll make sure Florida
remains a low tax state
we'll hold people in government
accountable we'll protect taxpayer
dollars and will ensure that Floridians
from all walks of life have that open
field and fair chance to realize their
dreams and for those of you in high tax
states who may be contemplating
investing in Florida please know that we
will remain open for business
and we will save you an awful lot in
taxes if you bring your at your
investment to Florida there's a lot of
people I have to thank and unfortunately
I just can't thank everyone but I can
tell you this my most significant and
valued supporter in spite of what the
media may say is standing right next to
me my wife Casey you know we we met you
know by chance at a driving range and
years ago and she has been my best
friend she's the best wife anybody could
ever have and I very much hope and I
think I will be a great governor but I
can guarantee you on day one of all 50
states Florida will have the best first
lady in the country in my life
[Applause]
I'd also like to thank my parents for
all they did for me especially my mother
is a retired nurse and we have two kids
under two and so when you're running for
governor in this massive state always
going in and out it really has helped
that she has been there helping us get
through this really difficult process so
I love her very much and I want to thank
her I also want to thank all the great
volunteers that we had throughout the
state of Florida
and the bottom line is I'm a vessel I'm
putting out the ideas and I'm putting
out the leadership but you guys are the
ones that really made this victory
happen you knocked on doors you made
cause you wave signs and you sent me
your prayers all across the state of
Florida and truth be told one of the
reasons why worked so hard during the
campaign so I saw you working so hard
and I did not want to let you down I
[Applause]
also want to thank our campaign staff
who worked very very hard throughout
this process starting with our campaign
chairman Suzie Wiles who's really the
best really the best in the business and
she worked and everyone worked so hard
and we're instrumental and I want to
thank our wonderful lieutenant governor
elect Jeanette Nunez
now when we started the campaign and
Jeanette got on the ticket she was kind
of our secret weapon but I think now her
force and presence has been witnessed by
the entire state and people know that we
are getting a special woman to be our
lieutenant governor
and she will be when she takes office
the highest-ranking Hispanic female in
the history of the state of Florida
I'd also like to thank Governor Rick
Scott for his leadership as governor
we have an awful lot of opportunities in
Florida particularly building a stronger
economy and that is in large part due to
the hard work of Rick Scott for eight
years focusing on bringing Florida's
economy back it's never been better we
haven't reached our potential that's
what I'm gonna have work on doing but
governor Scott has done a great job for
the people of the state of Florida and
finally I'd like to thank our president
for standing by me when
[Applause]
for standing by me when it wasn't
necessarily the smart thing to do
mr. president I look forward to working
with you to advance Florida's priorities
I think you're going to get tired of me
calling you asking you for things for
Florida but I look forward to that I
think we'll have a great partnership I'm
excited for the opportunities for
Florida and I'm excited to be able to
serve as the leader of the state when I
was in Iraq it didn't matter where our
fellow service members came from it
didn't matter what they look like we all
wore the same American flag patch on our
uniform we never thought about which of
the folks back home we were fighting for
will be fighting for Republicans we were
fighting for just Democrats know we
stood for all Americans now political
political campaigns are rough business
and are often about highlighting our
differences and unfortunately in this
day and age they too often spiral into
outright demagoguery
but governing is different governing is
about getting things done on behalf of
the people of Florida keeping the
economy going improving our water
quality and environment promoting public
safety and expanding educational
opportunities we need to build the
Florida that's cleaner safer stronger
and that'll be my guiding light as
governor so you can count on me if
you're a low-income family and you're
relying on a step-up for students
scholarship for your child to have
education opportunities you can count on
me to keep that going if you're somebody
who is interested in protecting the
environment that Floridians enjoy you
can count on me to stand for clean water
stop the toxic algae fight red tide and
restore the Everglades
floridians can count on me to keep taxes
low and to use our low tax climate to
drive more investment into the state of
Florida we can have real significant
gains in manufacturing technology
finance that'll be in a broader economic
base it means higher paying jobs and you
actually lend up raising more money for
the government with low tax rates so you
can do things for environment and
education and public safety law
enforcement can count on me to stand by
them I was honored to have the support
from almost every law enforcement agency
or group in Florida and there was not a
single campaign stop I didn't go where
someone in uniform didn't come up to me
and say sir we're behind you we're
counting on you so just understand
I appreciate the job you do to keep
Floridians safe and will stand by you
100%
as a veteran Floridians can count on me
to stand up for our active duty military
mission in the state of Florida and for
our great veterans who have done so much
to help
floridians can also account on account
on me to a point solid
constitutionalists to our state Supreme
Court and other courts so that we can
end judicial activism and restore the
constitutional order so we've got an
awful lot to do we have a lot of
opportunities and I believe you have to
turn the page on a political campaign
and you got to be willing to work with
Floridians from all walks of life I
don't care if you were against me in the
campaign I want to work with you to
advance our common priorities if we
think that way I think the limits I
don't think that there's going to be
limits to the amount of good we can do
so it's an honor to be here tonight as
the governor-elect of the state of
Florida we're looking forward we're
looking forward to getting going very
very quickly as we juggle two kids under
two and all that goes with that but I
promise you this as governor I will
fight the good fight I will finish the
race and I will keep the faith on behalf
of the great state of Florida and the
wonderful people we have here thank you
there you have it six months ago Ron de
santis was a relative political unknown
tonight he is elected the 46th governor
to the state of Florida the celebration
for him begins