Florida Gov. DeSantis wants his wife as next governor; is supporting bill to eliminate property taxes 

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis wants to eliminate property taxes in the Sunshine State. He also wants a say in who the next governor is, and is putting his wife forward as the best candidate. 

DeSantis, a Republican who may run for President in 2028, is term-limited as Florida’s governor, meaning he will be out of office following the 2026 election.  

President Trump last week threw his “Complete and Total Endorsement” behind Byron Donalds, a Republican congressman from Florida who has not announced an intention to run, but DeSantis says he prefers his wife, Casey. 

“We’ve achieved victories in Florida,” DeSantis said Monday, Associated Press reported. “A guy like Byron, he just hasn’t been a part of any of the victories that we’ve had here over the left over these last years.” 

And regarding his wife? 

“She’s somebody that has, I think, the intestinal fortitude and the dedication to conservative principles,” DeSantis said. “Anything we’ve accomplished, she’d be able to take to the next level.”  

The governor will face a battle if he’s to eliminate property taxes. 

State Sen. Jonathan Martin, R-Fort Myers, filed a bill (Senate Bill 852) for the upcoming March legislative session calling for a legislative study on the feasibility of eliminating property taxes statewide.  

If passed, it would examine possible revenue replacements, including a sales tax increase. Its findings would be submitted to the Florida Senate and House of Representatives by October 1. 

DeSantis said Florida should have a ballot question asking voters to abolish them. 

“We should put the boldest amendment on the ballot that has a chance of getting that 60%,” DeSantis posted on X this month. “I agree that taxing land/property is the more oppressive and ineffective form of taxation.” 

Florida House Speaker Daniel Perez, R-Miami, said he will consider the proposal. 

“Property taxes fund the majority of our K-12 education system, property taxes fund a majority of our local government’s budget,” he told NBC Miami. “I haven’t had that conversation with the governor yet, of course, I’m always open to it.” 

However, Perez has no deep-rooted ideological opposition to property taxes. 

“If we are going to eliminate property taxes, I want to kind of understand what his plan is to make sure that that gap that funds our next generation of Floridian leaders is filled properly and sufficiently,” Perez said. 

But University of South Florida economics professor Dr. Michael Snipes thinks eliminating property taxes would hurt, not help, Floridians. 

“I mean that’s possible, that’s feasible, but that’s something that’s going to affect everybody,” Snipes told Bay News 9. “With something like a consumption tax — that disproportionately affects lower-income individuals than higher-income individuals. 

“It sounds really good on paper, but I would really be careful about — just as an individual, individual homeowner, or even if you are renting — I would be very careful about this,” he added. 

It is not the first time DeSantis has supported abolishing a tax. 

As a U.S. congressman, DeSantis backed the FairTax proposal, which would abolish the federal income and payroll taxes and replace them with a national sales tax, spreading the tax burden to more people, including illegal immigrants and tourists. 

During the 2024 Republican presidential primary, the Trump campaign criticized DeSantis for this stance, branding him as “Ron DeSalesTax.” 

No legislative action has been taken on the property tax issue yet.