After nearly eight years of Governor Ron DeSantis leading Florida, his time in the governor’s mansion is approaching its end. For some Floridians, that moment cannot come soon enough. While DeSantis continues to have a substantial base of supporters throughout the state, there is also a large portion of Florida’s population that has disagreed with his leadership, his political priorities and the way his administration has handled some of the state’s most controversial issues.

DeSantis has never been a governor who tried to stay away from controversy. His administration has taken aggressive positions on education, immigration, abortion, LGBTQ-related policies, COVID-19 restrictions, higher education, corporate disputes, parental rights and other cultural and political issues. Those positions helped transform him into one of America’s most recognizable Republican governors, but they also made him an extremely polarizing political figure.

For people who supported his agenda, DeSantis represented exactly the kind of governor they wanted. For people who opposed that agenda, however, the last eight years have often felt like one political battle after another.

Florida Is More Divided Over DeSantis Than People May Think

It would be inaccurate to say that Florida as a whole has rejected Ron DeSantis. Recent polling shows something considerably more complicated.

A June 2026 Change Research survey found that 51% of registered Florida voters approved of DeSantis’ job performance while 48% disapproved. That is nearly an even division among voters. The same survey found that 52% were dissatisfied with the direction Florida was heading, compared with 44% who were satisfied.

Those numbers matter because Florida is sometimes portrayed nationally as though nearly everyone in the state agrees with the political direction of its government. They don’t.

There are millions of Floridians with different political beliefs, backgrounds and experiences. Some have strongly supported DeSantis. Others have opposed him for years. Still others may agree with him on certain issues while believing his administration went too far on others.

That is why his departure will mean very different things depending on which Floridian you ask.

For Some Residents, It’s Time to Turn the Page

For Floridians who have strongly disagreed with DeSantis, the end of his governorship represents an opportunity for something different.

Some residents have questioned whether Florida’s government became too consumed with national political and cultural battles while families continued dealing with problems much closer to home. Housing affordability, homeowners insurance, property taxes, groceries and the overall cost of living have become enormous concerns for residents.

A University of North Florida poll released in March 2026 found that 50% of respondents identified affordability and the cost of living as Florida’s most important problem. Political division and polarization came in second at 12%, while immigration was identified by 8%.

That raises an important question: Were Florida’s political leaders spending enough time addressing the problems residents were actually feeling in their wallets?

DeSantis certainly did address economic and tax issues during his administration, and it would be unfair to pretend otherwise. But voters are entitled to examine whether those efforts were enough and whether the state’s political priorities matched their own.

For someone struggling to pay homeowners insurance or wondering whether their children will ever be able to afford a home in Florida, another national political argument may not be the issue keeping them awake at night.

Even Republicans Have Challenged DeSantis

Another interesting development during DeSantis’ final years has been criticism coming from within his own political party.

Republican state Rep. Alex Andrade criticized aspects of DeSantis’ administration as the governor entered his final legislative session, including arguing that political loyalty had become too important in staffing decisions. Democratic House Leader Fentrice Driskell criticized the focus on political fights while pointing toward issues such as property insurance and affordable housing.

Those disagreements are important because they demonstrate that criticism of DeSantis cannot simply be reduced to Democrats versus Republicans. Politicians within his own party have disagreed with him over leadership, policy and priorities.

That is normal in government. No elected official should be beyond criticism simply because someone belongs to the same political party.

The Hope Florida Controversy Raised More Questions

DeSantis’ final year has also included renewed controversy surrounding Hope Florida, an initiative associated with First Lady Casey DeSantis.

A Florida grand jury concluded that $10 million in taxpayer money from a Medicaid-related settlement had been misappropriated after being directed to the Hope Florida Foundation and ultimately moved through organizations into political committees involved in fighting Florida’s 2024 marijuana legalization amendment. Importantly, the grand jury did not file criminal charges, saying there was insufficient evidence to establish who was specifically responsible. DeSantis has maintained that no laws were broken.

That distinction matters. Political criticism should never turn allegations into criminal guilt when investigators themselves did not reach that conclusion.

At the same time, Floridians have every right to ask questions about how taxpayer money is handled, who makes those decisions and whether sufficient safeguards exist to prevent public funds from being used improperly.

Not Everyone Is Happy to See DeSantis Leave

There is another side to this story, and Kingdom Influence Media believes it should be acknowledged.

DeSantis remains popular among many Floridians. A University of North Florida poll earlier this year found 52% of respondents viewed him favorably compared with 42% who viewed him unfavorably. His support among Republicans was particularly strong, with 87% viewing him favorably.

Those voters may look back on the DeSantis administration very differently. They may remember a governor who fought for conservative policies, challenged COVID-era restrictions, expanded parental involvement in education, pushed aggressive immigration policies and resisted progressive cultural policies.

Those voters are entitled to their assessment just as DeSantis’ critics are entitled to theirs.

But a 42% unfavorable rating and a 48% job-disapproval rating in another recent poll also represent a significant portion of Florida’s electorate. Those people shouldn’t disappear from the conversation simply because Florida has become associated nationally with conservative politics.

KIM’s Take: Florida Needs a Government Focused on Floridians

Perhaps the biggest lesson from the DeSantis era is that governing and campaigning are two different things.

Political battles can generate headlines. They can generate television appearances, viral videos, fundraising and national recognition. But residents ultimately have to wake up every morning and live in the state being governed.

They have mortgages and rent to pay. They have insurance bills. They need jobs. They have children attending schools. They drive on local roads. They need affordable health care. They worry about crime, taxes, development and whether their communities will remain affordable.

Those issues don’t belong exclusively to Republicans or Democrats.

As DeSantis approaches the end of his governorship, there are Floridians who will genuinely miss his leadership. There are others who will be genuinely relieved to see his administration come to an end. And there are probably plenty of people somewhere in the middle who liked some of what he accomplished and strongly disliked other parts.

That is Florida.

The state doesn’t have to agree on Ron DeSantis’ legacy. But after nearly eight years under the same governor, Floridians have every right to examine what happened, decide what worked, acknowledge what didn’t and determine what they want from the person who comes next.

For the Floridians who have spent years disagreeing with DeSantis’ approach, the end of his administration isn’t simply another political transition. It represents an opportunity to turn the page. And now Florida voters will decide what gets written on the next one.

SOURCES

Associated Press. (2026, August 27). Florida grand jury finds $10 million was misappropriated in Hope Florida controversy. AP News.

Change Research. (2026, June 15). Florida June poll memo. Change Research.

CBS News Miami. (2026, August 26). Grand jury releases report on Hope Florida investigation. CBS News.

University of North Florida Public Opinion Research Lab. (2026, March 4). Florida statewide voter poll: Affordability and cost of living among voters’ top concerns. University of North Florida.

WFSU Public Media. (2026, January 12). DeSantis critics say his power is reduced heading into final legislative session. WFSU.