Ron DeSantis Faces Key 2024 Test As Idalia Approaches

The success of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in the 2024 Republican presidential primary could rest on his response to Tropical Storm Idalia, which forecasters say is expected to strike the state as a significant hurricane on Wednesday.

Idalia is set to arrive in Florida at a critical time for DeSantis' presidential campaign. The governor's embrace of conservative cultural issues propelled him to national prominence, allowing him to build up a solid base within the GOP electorate. Many political analysts viewed DeSantis as the Republican best suited to take on embattled former President Donald Trump. But his campaign has been hit by a myriad of challenges including fundraising concerns, questions about his ability to connect with voters, and troubling poll numbers, forcing DeSantis to shake up his staff in hopes of launching a comeback in the primary race.

His attempted comeback is set to coincide with Idalia's arrival in Florida later this week, making his response to the storm high-stakes as Republican voters across the country watch closely for his ability to navigate a natural disaster, a critical role for the country's top executive.

The success of DeSantis' response to Idalia could be dictated by Kevin Guthrie, the executive director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM), who has already begun preparing for the storm with DeSantis.

DeSantis and Guthrie, along with Adjutant General of Florida Major General John D. Haas, and Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson, delivered remarks about emergency storm preparation on Monday morning. Guthrie urged Florida residents to prepare for the storm, including potential evacuation for residents who live on the state's Gulf Coast.

"We encourage every Floridian along the Gulf Coast to begin enacting their emergency preparedness plans now. Now is not necessarily the time to write a plan. Now is the time to action a plan," Guthrie said.

Carol Weissert, a emerita professor of political science at Florida State University, told Newsweek Monday afternoon: "If there are problems and he is perceived as not handling it well, he can be hurt. If he does a good job it won't move the needle because that would be the expectation."

DeSantis press secretary Bryan Griffin told Newsweek on Monday that the governor's "strong leadership in times if crisis" is what "Americans can expect from a President DeSantis."

"In the face of the impending major hurricane, Ron DeSantis is focused on leading his state through this challenging moment. He's now at the helm of Florida's hurricane response and is working with local officials across the state to do everything necessary to ensure Florida is fully prepared," Griffin added.

According to FDEM, Guthrie brings more than 30 years of experience in emergency management to the hurricane response.

He served for more than 23 years as a police officer and an emergency preparedness coordinator in Jacksonville, as well as the public safety and emergency management director for the Flagler County Board of County Commissioners. Senator Rick Scott, then governor, appointed him as the chief of staff for FDEM in October 2018. DeSantis appointed him as the deputy director in January 2019.

Guthrie has overseen Florida's response to several hurricanes in recent years, including Hurricane Ian last year.

The response to Hurricane Ian was defined by bipartisan cooperation between DeSantis and the Biden administration. President Joe Biden praised DeSantis' response to Ian, which bolstered his support ahead of his reelection last November, which saw him defeat Democratic Representative and former Governor Charlie Crist by double-digits.

"What the governor's done is pretty remarkable," Biden said, according to Florida-based news station WESH-TV, at the time. "I think he's done a good job."

Update 08/28/2023, 4:33 p.m. ET: This article was updated with comment from Weissert.