Florida appeared to be the center of the political universe on Tuesday evening.

Gov. Ron DeSantis reportedly was received as a conquering hero at the Republican Governor’s Association meeting in Orlando.

DeSantis, who easily defeated political chameleon Charlie Crist on Election Day to win a second term as Florida’s chief executive, was the keynoter at the RGA event around the same time that former President Trump was making news about 200 miles down the road in announcing a 2024 bid for the White House from his Mar-a-Lago home in Palm beach.

According to enthusiastic insiders in the room, DeSantis touted his successful campaign’s ability to draw voters across the political spectrum. DeSantis, for example, is the first GOP governor in two decades to carry the Miami-Dade County vote in an election.

“And a third source added that the speech received a very warm reception from an audience that is energized about the possibilities of taking the DeSantis model and applying it to battleground states across the country,” Fox News reported.

DeSantis did not mention potential presidential rival Trump in his remarks, but he has emerged as a favorite for those who are looking for a 2024 alternative to the former POTUS.

On Election Night, DeSantis noted in his victory speech that “We have rewritten the political map. While our country flounders due to failed leadership in Washington, Florida is on the right track.”

Who could have predicted the Republican majority in Congress would hinge on Ron Desantis’ insistence that their legislature draw better maps (+4 R seats), and the coat tails Republicans enjoyed due to his popularity in Florida. Add to that competent Florida elections.

— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) November 14, 2022

“Florida’s governor has seen his popularity soar among conservatives across the country the past two and a half years, courtesy of his forceful pushback against coronavirus pandemic restrictions and his aggressive actions as a culture wars warrior, as he’s targeted the media and corporations,” Fox News added.

Donald Trump, 76, still enjoys a huge well of support among the base, within some conservative punditry, and for many Republican elected officials.

Some polling data seems to indicate that he is, by far, the front-runner for the nomination.

In certain quarters, particularly the vocal Never Trump cohort, including some of its newer converts, he has been blamed for the GOP’s underperformance in the 2022 midterms.

Lackluster GOP congressional leadership and Democrat ballot harvesting, however, were significant factors in the outcome.

Without mentioning Trump by name, DeSantis has advised his critics to “check out the scoreboard.”

Ron DeSantis finally responds to Trump criticism ahead of the former president's announcement tonight:

"One of the things I've learned in this job is when you're leading, when you're getting things done, you take incoming fire, that's just the nature of it." pic.twitter.com/bVuoG4Fpht

— Mary Margaret Olohan (@MaryMargOlohan) November 15, 2022

Trump recently nicknamed the governor “Ron DeSanctimonius,” but that moniker probably has too many syllables to really catch on.

DeSantis, 44, has a long political career ahead. Thus, 2024 obviously need not be his only opportunity to seek the White House, so any potential rivalry or feud could be put aside in the near term in the name of party unity.

If the governor decides to run, his announcement won’t come before the summer and after the state legislature wraps up its session, according to a source in the DeSantis orbit.

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