It's no longer a secret that Ron DeSantis's reputation has suffered since he reached his pinnacle in November 2022, when he easily won reelection as governor of Florida in an otherwise dismal year for Republicans.
Many have questioned if he can defeat former President Donald Trump in the GOP presidential primary due to his underwhelming performance on the campaign trail.
And he may be in for even harsher seas than he has already experienced.
A white assailant shot and killed three Black persons inside a Dollar General store in Jacksonville last week.
Residents of the usually Republican community heckled the governor when he arrived at the vigil since the city had elected a Democratic mayor.
DeSantis approved laws limiting how race is taught in classrooms in the state, staking his claim on making Florida a place where "wokeness" comes to die.
The state's middle school history curriculum, which states that people in slavery "developed skills" that may be "applied for personal benefit," has also drawn criticism from other Black leaders, including some Black Republican members of Congress.
Similarly, others believed that DeSantis' remarks did not sufficiently condemn racism.
Others have charged that DeSantis has fostered an environment conducive to such needless violence, pointing out that he approved legislation in April allowing anyone to carry concealed firearms without government permission.
All of this could help explain why the governor would be seen negatively while the community mourned.
DeSantis also put his campaign on hold as Florida prepared for Hurricane Idalia.
How successfully Florida governors manage a hurricane or tropical storm and clean up afterward determines their popularity.
DeSantis drew praise from many Floridians in the weeks preceding the 2022 midterm elections for handling Hurricane Ian.
As a result, the governor may be able to present himself as an effective leader, and photographs of him assessing the damage may help to support this claim.
Of course, it may also backfire; ask Chris Christie, DeSantis's rival for the GOP nomination, who as governor of New Jersey supported then-president Barack Obama during Hurricane Sandy in the weeks preceding the 2012 election.
What factors do you think will have the greatest impact on Ron DeSantis's political future – his controversies, hurricane management, or his competition with Trump?
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