Ron DeSantis is a political anomaly. At a time of extreme political polarization, the Florida Republican governor has appealed to constituencies far out of reach for most politicians in his party. With sky-high approval ratings, DeSantis could choose to be quiet during an election year and try to coast his way to reelection in 2022. Instead, he’s attempting to pass E-Verify, which is popular among voters but toxic to big business, the political class, and entrenched special interests. His political agenda may win him few fans in the state capital but could launch him as Trump’s successor.
In his first year in office, DeSantis championed policies that appealed across the political spectrum. He fought to: get a statewide ban on sanctuary cities, allow teachers to bring firearms into their classrooms, expand school choice with vouchers for private and religious schools, and remove Common Core education standards. DeSantis also signed a bill to allow Floridians to purchase cheaper imported prescription drugs, and released a series of environmental priorities, including increased fines for polluters and the creation of the state’s first climate change czar. He’s cleared house, removing hundreds of political appointees, including disgraced Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel and Broward County Election Supervisor Brenda Snipes.
DeSantis’s early record of success garnered a broad coalition of supporters. A Mason-Dixon poll from late December put his approval rating at 65%, with 61% of women, 56% of Hispanics, and 42% of black voters supporting the governor.
Election years are when most politicians decide to take a step back from pursuing controversial policies that could make waves for their political party. DeSantis’s agenda is different, releasing an economic plan that benefits working-class Floridians and taking on powerful business groups that tend to be Republican donors.
On Dec. 16, DeSantis announced he was backing a bill to mandate E-Verify in Florida. If enacted, employers would be required to confirm new hires are legally allowed to work in the United States.
Surrounded by “angel parents,” DeSantis said in his endorsement of the bill, “I think [E-Verify] tightens the labor market, has rising wages at the bottom for our blue-collar workers here in Florida. I think that’s something we should all want to see.”
Approaching immigration from a labor perspective used to be a talking point of prominent Democrats such as Cesar Chavez and former Rep. Barbara Jordan. By taking this stand, DeSantis is clearly establishing that the GOP in Florida is the party of the working class.
Despite E-Verify being supported by over 70% of Florida voters, including 63% of Democrats, 70% of independents, and 81% of Republicans, DeSantis has one major hurdle to confront: the donor class and big business.
Corporate interests that are closely aligned with Republican politicians have acted as a roadblock to this measure for years. During Gov. Rick Scott’s tenure, he continually pushed to get mandatory E-Verify passed through the Republican-controlled state legislature, but to no avail.
The Florida Chamber of Commerce and the state’s powerful agriculture industry have pushed back against any effort for politicians to enact the law that would protect jobs for nearly a decade. The Tampa Bay Times reported that, as recently as last year, legislators backed by big business struck a deal with state legislators to advance DeSantis’s ban on sanctuary cities in exchange for killing the E-Verify bill, hoping he wouldn’t bring it up again during an election year.
As DeSantis continues to fight entrenched interests, Republican legislators are already trying to protect big business. State Senate President Bill Galvano has stated he doesn’t support the bill, and state Rep. Cord Byrd has offered a watered-down version of the bill that would ban government employers from using E-Verify.
E-Verify is a heavy lift for any politician, and DeSantis has already shown his bravery by taking on the donor class during an election year. If he is successful, however, this moment will bring him national prominence as a reformer and champion of the working-class backbone of the Republican Party who feel their voices are being drowned out by the donor class. Aside from guaranteeing him a massive reelection victory, it will also bring attention to DeSantis as a real contender for national office.
Ryan Girdusky (@RyanGirdusky) is a contributor to the Washington Examiner’s Beltway Confidential blog. He is author of the upcoming book They’re Not Listening: How the Elites Created the Nationalist Populist Revolution.
