• Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis was sworn into his second term in office on Tuesday at the Historic Old Capitol in Tallahassee 
• DeSantis enters his fifth year in office, winning another term after his nearly 20-point defeat of gubernatorial opponent Charlie Crist in November — the widest margin in a Florida governor’s race in forty years
• In his speech, DeSantis touted Florida as the “freedom state,” vowing to continue “fighting wokeness”
• Early speculation anticipates continued hyperfocus on ‘culture war’ issues such as school curriculum regulation, the passage of constitutional carry policy, and an expansion to the state’s abortion ban

Gov. Ron DeSantis was sworn into his second term as the governor of Florida on Tuesday at an inauguration ceremony at the Historic Old Capitol in Tallahassee.

DeSantis enters his fifth year in office, winning another term after his nearly 20-point defeat of gubernatorial opponent Charlie Crist in November — the widest margin in a Florida governor’s race in forty years.

DeSantis’ first term was marked by a rapid ascension to the top of the GOP party, with rumors ultimately swirling about a potential bid for the White House in 2024.

The governor demanded national party attention through his controversially staunch COVID-19 policies, followed by sweeping reforms to state education regulation and the passage of a 15-week statewide abortion ban.

“Freedom lives here in our great Sunshine State of Florida,” said DeSantis in his nearly seventeen-minute-long speech.

"Florida shows that results matter. We lead not by words but by deeds." @GovRonDeSantis pic.twitter.com/yeoDCIDGmI

— Bryan Griffin (@BryanDGriffin) January 3, 2023

DeSantis heralded Florida as the ‘freest state in the nation,’ continuing his campaign talking points centered around what he referred to as “educational and economic liberty,” before being sworn in by Florida Supreme Court Chief Justice Carlos Muniz.

“Over the past few years, as so many states in our county grinded their citizens down, we in Florida lifted our people up,” DeSantis stated, in reference to his aforementioned stances against COVID-19 lockdown measures.

Early speculation anticipates continued hyperfocus on ‘culture war’ issues such as school curriculum regulation, the passage of a constitutional carry policy, and a broadening of the state’s abortion ban.

Lawmakers have also made clear their intent to expand the Parental Rights in Education bill given the recently-acquired GOP supermajority in the state Capitol.

Sen. Kathleen Passidomo, who assumed the state Senate President role in November, said in late 2022 that the legislature would look to expand the scope of regulatory language in the bill if given the opportunity.

“It’s really important that parents of any school-aged child has the right to make decisions for those kids … if we have the supermajority we’re looking for in the House and the Senate we may be able to expand that bill,” she said.

Passidomo also suggested that the original bill was written in order to reach a compromise with opposing lawmakers.

“We ended up with K-3 because we wanted the bill to pass. That’s oftentimes a part of the process. You have to compromise.”

Outside of DeSantis, Florida’s highest-ranking statewide officials, who comprise the Florida Cabinet, kicked off the beginning of their new terms today with swearing-in ceremonies for Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nunez, Attorney General Ashley Moody, state Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis, and the newly-elected Agriculture Commissioner, Wilton Simpson.