Ron DeSantis was the unquestioned leader of the opposition to Amendments 3 and 4. Both amendments received well over 50 percent of the vote, but neither met Florida’s extraordinary 60 percent threshold. As a result, DeSantis proved that his brand of social conservatism still has legs in the state.
But “winning” by thwarting the will of a clear majority of the public through the expenditure of state funds is not a very impressive accomplishment. In addition, DeSantis managed to alienate the large portion of the reactionary base that is libertarian on drug issues; after all, Donald Trump supported Amendment 3. His “victory” will do him no good when he runs for president again in 2028.