Long before the 2024 election season started, Donald Trump was the de facto frontrunner for the nomination. Frankly, in the aftermath of the much-disputed 2020 election results, there were probably few Trump voters who would have entertained voting for anyone else but Trump in 2024.
Of course, things changed. Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.), a rising star in the GOP, quickly proved himself to be a popular Trump alternative. While many in the GOP give a lot of lip service in the culture wars, it quickly became clear that he wasn’t afraid to fight. And he surprised many by taking on woke Disney and winning.
All the while, he managed to turn Florida into a solid red state and win reelection in a huge landslide.