The Sunshine State Dem Party is “like a carcass,” says DeSantis, who won Florida’s left.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis Florida’s Democratic Party is “dead meat on the side of the road,” he said after being pummeled by Republicans.

“Whereas it used to be a swing, now the Democratic Party It’s an empty shell in Florida. It’s like a dead body on the side of the road,” DeSantis said at a Midland County Michigan GOP breakfast. “I mean, we beat the left in the state of Florida.”

The comments from DeSantis, who has served as Florida’s governor since 2019, are expected to carry over to the state. Republicans growing field Seeking the GOP nomination for president in 2024 when the Florida Legislature ends its session this spring.

DeSantis, who described Florida as a state where he “goes to die awake,” made similar comments in an interview with Newsweek in February about the Sunshine State’s Democratic Party.

DeSantis visited Michigan amid 2024 speculation.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis speaks during the Midland Republican Party event on April 6, 2023 in Midland, Michigan. (Matthew Hatcher/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Last November, DeSantis narrowly defeated Democratic challenger former Florida Gov. Charlie Crist for a second term in the Florida governor’s mansion. DeSantis received more than 1.5 million votes from former Republican Representative Chris Florida’s 13th Congressional District 2017 to 2022 as a Democrat in the House.

DeSantis’ victory in the state’s 2022 gubernatorial election is considered a historic victory by many Republicans both locally and nationally.

The victory marked the first time in two decades that a GOP governor has been elected. Miami-Dade County won. In the year In 2002, incumbent Florida Governor Jeb Bush became the last Republican gubernatorial candidate before DeSantis to win the populous and diverse state of South Florida.

DeSantis narrowly leads Trump in Florida as governor’s approval rating hits 59%: Poll

An audience waits for Ron DeSantis to speak during the Midland Republican Party event on April 6, 2023 in Midland, Michigan. (Matthew Hatcher/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

“Courageous leadership is rewarded by the voters, and you can’t win by a million and a half votes by getting Republicans. We’re winning the libertarians, we’re actually winning the Democrats,” DeSantis said from Michigan.

DeSantis has gained national recognition for reversing course during his tenure as governor Covid-19 lockdownsAttacking critical racial and gender identity content in schools, and punching out corporations like Disney or journalists who criticize its agenda.

Its amazing 19-point re-election victory He rose to prominence last November in the midterms of an election year where Republicans generally outperformed, making him the front-runner among the political elite for the White House in 2024 — upsetting former GOP front-runner Donald Trump.

Former President Donald Trump, left, and Florida GOP Governor Ron DeSantis, right. (Joe Radle/Getty Images/Giorgio Viera/AFP via Getty Images)

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A Mason-Dixon Florida poll Released last week, 59% of registered voters approve of DeSantis’ performance as governor after a landslide re-election in November. In the year The governor’s approval rating has increased by four points since before the 2022 election, but is still below the high approval rating of 62% in March 2019.

Fox News’ Chris Pandolfo and Paul Steinhauser contributed to this article.