Early midterm election results show the Republican Party failing to win as many seats as expected across the US. But Mr. DeSantis bucked the trend with a personal victory that cemented Republican dominance in what was once a swing state. “We rewrote the political map,” he said, hailing an emphatic “victory for all time.” The victory for DeSantis combined with a bad night for Mr. Trump raises questions for the Republican Party about who is best to lead them into the 2024 presidential election. A Republican source told Fox News: “If it wasn’t clear before, it should be now. We have a Trump problem.” Early results show Democrats are favorites to retain control of the Senate, while Republicans are expected to win the House of Representatives, though by a smaller margin than predicted. A divided Congress would mean much of Joe Biden’s agenda has stalled while the economy stutters, leaving a 2024 Republican leader in a strong position. Mr. DeSantis, 44, Mr. Trump’s likely Republican challenger for the 2024 nomination, has earned the moniker “America’s governor” among Republicans impressed by his “anti-woke” crusade and opposition to lockdowns. He built on that theme in his victory speech in Tampa on Tuesday night, echoing Sir Winston Churchill as he lashed out at the Liberals. He said: “We are fighting the awakening in the legislature. We are fighting the awakening in the schools. We are fighting the awakening in the corporations. We will never, ever surrender to the woke mob.” Mr. DeSantis defeated Democrat Charlie Christ by about 60% to 40%, with about 90% of the vote counted. “Thank you for honoring us with a victory for the ages.”
