Casey DeSantis, the wife of Ron DeSantis, the Republican candidate for governor of Florida, is a prominent television host. She also goes by the name of Casey Black DeSantis.
DeSantis, a Donald Trump supporter, is squaring off against Andrew Gillum, the Tallahassee mayor who staged an upset in the Democratic primary. Ron DeSantis is a Congressman and former JAG officer who served in Iraq.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Ron DeSantis’s Wife Cut a TV Ad During the Primary to Reach Trump Voters
Ron DeSantis’s wife, Casey, cut an ad for the primary that was considered influential. According to Politico, the ad was supposed to appeal to Trump voters.
Casey made fun in a light-hearted way of her husband’s Trump support.
“Everyone knows my husband Ron DeSantis is endorsed by President Trump. But he’s also an amazing dad,” she said in the ad. “People say Ron’s all Trump, but he is so much more.” The DeSantis children also appeared in the ad, with the candidate telling his children to “build the wall” with their toy blocks.
There are other references to Trump in the ad, including his Make America Great Again campaign slogan and his book, Art of the Deal.
2. Casey DeSantis Is an Award-Winning Television Host
Casey has a career in her own right – on television. According to DeSantis’s Congressional biography, his wife, Casey, is “an Emmy award-winning television host” and the couple has a daughter and son (named Madison and Mason.)
USA Today reports that, as of 2015, Casey DeSantis was working as a television host on NBC 12 and ABC 25. She was the host of a talk show called First Coast Living and The Chat, a live talk show with other area women.
On LinkedIn, Casey says she is a moderator, television host, and executive producer for TEGNA, where she’s worked for the past seven years.
She previously worked as an anchorwoman in Jacksonville, Florida. Florida Politics.com called Casey Black DeSantis “one of the most recognizable faces on Jacksonville television with long runs at two local news operations.”
3. Ron DeSantis Called His Family ‘a Wonderful Support System’
DeSantis’s Facebook profile picture is a photo of his family. It contains the caption, “I am incredibly blessed to have such a wonderful support system by my side.”
Happy Valentine’s Day to my wonderful wife, Casey. Thank you for blessing me with 8 incredible years of marriage and our beautiful daughter and a son on the way. You are my greatest blessing, I love you!
On Valentine’s Day 2019, Ron wrote on Twitter, “Happy Valentine’s Day to my wonderful wife, Casey. Thank you for blessing me with 8 incredible years of marriage and our beautiful daughter and a son on the way. You are my greatest blessing, I love you!”
Polls are closing soon! We have traveled the Sunshine State and met so many great people dedicated to securing Florida’s future. Thank you all for your support, let’s bring it home! t.co/S7GPAKh1bv
Casey frequently appeared with her husband on the campaign trail.
4. Casey DeSantis Considers Herself ‘Truly Blessed’ to Be Married to Ron
On Facebook, Casey shared a photo of the couple’s wedding, writing, “Came across this pic from our wedding this morning:-) Truly blessed to be married to Ron D. DeSantis — Could not be more proud of him..”
The pair met in Jacksonville, when Ron was working at the Naval Station Mayport in that city.
Casey and I are blessed to welcome our son Mason Joseph DeSantis. 8lbs, 4oz and very strong! Both baby and mom are doing great.
She wrote on Facebook that she is from Troy, Ohio. Casey has called her husband a “man of integrity, of honor, conviction, morals, principle, and values.”
Casey frequently highlights her family on her social media pages, including Facebook, and Twitter.
Our little guy, Mason, met with supporters in Jacksonville and joined me at the studio! He says, vote for Dad!
Casey has a bachelor’s degree in economics from the College of Charleston.
5. Casey DeSantis Was a Broadcaster for the PGA Tour
Before building her career in Florida television, Casey DeSantis was a broadcaster working on the PGA Tour.
According to USA Today, she worked for the the tour “hosting and producing two shows: On The Tee, a live broadcast preceding Golf Channel coverage and PGA Tour Today, a daily recap of tournament play.”
The newspaper reports that Casey DeSantis is a National Champion Equestrian “and runner-up NCAA Champion.”