Casey DeSantis
First Lady of Florida
Current
Assumed role
January 8, 2019
GovernorRon DeSantis
Preceded byAnn Scott
Personal details
Born
Jill Casey Black

(1980-06-26) June 26, 1980
Zanesville, Ohio, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
Spouse
​
(m. 2009)​
Children3
EducationCollege of Charleston (BS)

Jill Casey DeSantis (née Black; born June 26, 1980)[1] is an American former news journalist, television show host, and the current first lady of Florida as the wife of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.[2][3]

Early life and education

Jill Casey Black was born on June 26, 1980, in Zanesville, Ohio,[4][5] the second child of Robert Black, an optometrist and former officer in the United States Air Force, and Jeanne Caponigro, a speech-language pathologist[6] and the daughter of a Sicilian immigrant.[7]

She graduated from the College of Charleston, where she received a Bachelor of Science in Economics with a minor in French.[8] She competed on its equestrian team.[9]

Media career

Early in her career DeSantis hosted the Golf Channel programs On The Tee and PGA Tour Today. She was also a local newscaster and anchor for WJXT, in Jacksonville, Florida. She held several positions there, including general assignment reporter, morning anchor, and police reporter.[10]

In 2014, DeSantis was a creator-moderator for The Chat, an hour-long round table panel discussion talk show that aired on Tegna's Jacksonville stations WTLV (NBC) and WJXX (ABC).[2] She hosted the daily local talk show First Coast Living as well as the weekly The American Dream program about entrepreneurs. DeSantis wrote and produced the television documentary Champion, The JT Townsend Story about high school football player J.T. Townsend.[11] She also won a regional Suncoast Emmy Award.[2]

In 2018 Florida Politics called Casey "one of the most recognizable faces on Jacksonville television, with long runs at two local news operations."[12]

First Lady of Florida

DeSantis and Melania Trump, 2019

In February 2019, DeSantis established the First Lady's Medal for Courage, Commitment, and Service.[13] Soon after, she announced Florida's 2019 Black History Month theme as "Celebrating Public Service" where she and the governor honored the winners of Florida's Black History Month student contests and Excellence in Education Award recipients at the Governor's Mansion. DeSantis recognized Mary Ann Carroll, the only female member of the Highwaymen, as Florida's featured artist for the month.

DeSantis participated in a Recovery Redfish Release to address the impacts of red tide. "I've heard from those throughout Florida who understand that our water must be safe for our families, visitors and economy."[14] DeSantis has hosted listening sessions on Venezuela, hurricane relief, and mental health.[13]

In August 2019, DeSantis presided over the first meeting of the Florida Children and Youth Cabinet as its chair.[15] During the COVID-19 pandemic, she and her husband held a roundtable in August 2020 centered on the mental health impact of the pandemic.[16]

According to Politico, DeSantis has taken on a "sort of policy portfolio of her own that ranges from hurricane recovery to issues of mental health" in her role as First Lady.[17]

Political activity

In 2023, Casey DeSantis was honored by the Republican Party of Sarasota as "Stateswoman of the Year", an award that had been earned in the past by individuals including her husband, Ron DeSantis, and other national officeholders.[18] She became the first woman to receive the distinction.[19]

Ron DeSantis 2024 presidential campaign

DeSantis is an advisor to her husband's 2024 presidential campaign.[20] The New York Times has noted her role in advising her husband on media strategy and policy matters.[21] In December 2023, she was criticized for telling Republicans nationwide to participate in the Iowa caucus.[22][23]

Potential political future

After receiving the Stateswoman of the Year award, speculation surrounding a potential bid by Casey DeSantis in Florida's 2026 gubernatorial election has emerged.[24][25] However, Puck reported that a spokesperson for the DeSantis campaign denied her interest in running for office.[26]

Personal life

She met Ron DeSantis, then a naval officer at Naval Station Mayport, on a golf course at the University of North Florida.[27] They married on September 26, 2009,[28] at Walt Disney World Resort, which Ron DeSantis later called "kind of ironic" in the wake of his battle with the company over the Florida Parental Rights in Education Act.[29] They have three children together: two daughters and a son.[30]

On October 4, 2021, her husband announced that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer.[31] On March 3, 2022, she announced that she was cancer-free.[32]

Like her husband, DeSantis is Roman Catholic.[33]

References

  1. ↑ "Jill Casey Desantis's Florida Voter Registration". VoterRecords.com. Archived from the original on November 1, 2022. Retrieved January 30, 2019.
  2. 1 2 3 "Casey Black DeSantis". firstcoastnews.com. June 17, 2015. Archived from the original on April 16, 2023. Retrieved July 25, 2022.
  3. ↑ Manjarres, Javier (January 31, 2018). "DeSantis' secret weapon: His wife Casey". The Floridian. Archived from the original on October 24, 2021.
  4. ↑ Simmons, Robin (October 4, 2021). "Florida First Lady Casey DeSantis diagnosed with breast cancer". WSVN. Archived from the original on March 8, 2022.
  5. ↑ Who is Casey DeSantis? What we know about Florida governor Ron’s wife who could become America’s first lady
  6. ↑ "Who is Casey DeSantis? First lady knows 'what's best for Ron'". December 11, 2022. Archived from the original on February 4, 2023. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
  7. ↑ Schweers, Jeffrey (December 11, 2022). "Who is Casey DeSantis? First lady knows 'what's best for Ron'". Orlando Sentinel (Digital). Archived from the original on February 4, 2023. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
  8. ↑ Nelson-Williams, Keltha (October 26, 2018). "Exclusive: Meet Casey DeSantis, Florida's next First Lady". First Coast News. Archived from the original on April 16, 2023. Retrieved July 12, 2020.
  9. ↑ Staff Reports (April 15, 2023). "Florida First Lady Casey DeSantis is a former Troy resident".
  10. ↑ "Casey Black DeSantis". USA Today. June 17, 2015. Archived from the original on November 2, 2018.
  11. ↑ "JT's Story". Archived from the original on November 1, 2022. Retrieved August 29, 2022.
  12. ↑ Gancarski, A. G. (July 30, 2018). "Casey DeSantis humorously portrays hubby as family man in new Governor's race ad". Florida Politics. Archived from the original on June 27, 2022.
  13. 1 2 Capitol News Service (April 2, 2019). "Governor appoints first lady to Children and Youth Cabinet". www.wctv.tv. Archived from the original on May 24, 2022.
  14. ↑ "First Lady Casey DeSantis Joins DEP, FWC, CCA and Duke Energy for Red Tide Recovery Redfish Release". Archived from the original on December 6, 2022. Retrieved March 29, 2019.
  15. ↑ "First Lady Casey DeSantis Holds First Meeting as Chair of the Florida Children and Youth Cabinet". Florida Governor's Office. August 23, 2019. Archived from the original on November 10, 2022. Retrieved July 12, 2020.
  16. ↑ Grant, Cheryl S. "Live: Gov. Ron DeSantis and First Lady Casey DeSantis hold COVID-19 mental health roundtable in Sarasota". The Palm Beach Post. Retrieved September 19, 2023.
  17. ↑ Kruse, Michael (May 19, 2023). "The Casey DeSantis Problem: 'His Greatest Asset and His Greatest Liability'". POLITICO. Retrieved September 19, 2023.
  18. ↑ Ogles, Jacob (April 10, 2023). "Sarasota Republicans to honor Casey DeSantis as Stateswoman of the Year". Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government. Retrieved September 22, 2023. That includes former President Donald Trump, who has been honored as Statesman of the Year twice... It also includes Gov. Ron DeSantis, who accepted the award in 2021... Other past Statesmen of the Year include U.S. Sens. Rick Scott, Ted Cruz and Lindsey Graham, former Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, former Vice President Dick Cheney and Fox News pundit Sean Hannity.
  19. ↑ Anderson, Zac (September 21, 2023). "Florida First Lady Casey DeSantis to receive Sarasota GOP stateswoman award". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Retrieved September 22, 2023.
  20. ↑ Glueck, Katie (May 24, 2023). "Florida's First Lady, and Second in Command". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
  21. ↑ Glueck, Katie (May 24, 2023). "Florida's First Lady, and Second in Command". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved September 19, 2023.
  22. ↑ Luscombe, Richard (December 9, 2023). "Casey DeSantis encourages Republicans nationwide to vote in Iowa caucus". The Guardian. Retrieved December 18, 2023.
  23. ↑ Alafriz, Olivia (December 9, 2023). "Trump hits Casey DeSantis over call for out-of-state backers to be "part of the caucus" in Iowa". Politico. Retrieved December 18, 2023.
  24. ↑ Nicol, Ryan (July 9, 2023). "Winner and Loser of the Week in Florida politics — Week of 7.2.23". Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government. Retrieved September 22, 2023.
  25. ↑ "While DeSantis struggles with his run for president, who's next for Florida governor?". Tallahassee Democrat. Retrieved July 28, 2023.
  26. ↑ Palmeri, Tara (August 18, 2023). "Imagining "Jillary" DeSantis". Puck. Retrieved September 19, 2023. A DeSantis campaign spokesperson disputed that Casey has any interest whatsoever in her own political career, calling the allegation "categorically false." But the whispers have been unavoidable since May, when Casey was named Stateswoman of the Year by the Sarasota G.O.P.
  27. ↑ Lakritz, Talia (December 1, 2022). "Ron DeSantis' wife, Casey, has been instrumental in the Florida governor's rise to fame. Here's a timeline of their relationship". Business Insider (Digital). Retrieved February 4, 2023.
  28. ↑ Angbulu, Stephen (May 8, 2019). "All About Casey DeSantis' Family Life and The Progression of Her Career Until She Became First Lady of Florida". Answers Africa. Archived from the original on August 7, 2021.
  29. ↑ "Ron DeSantis admits getting married to Casey DeSantis at Disney World ended up being 'kind of ironic'". Archived from the original on April 24, 2023. Retrieved April 24, 2023.
  30. ↑ "Gov. Ron DeSantis, First Lady Casey DeSantis announce birth of third child, Mamie". Tallahassee Democrat. March 30, 2020. Archived from the original on March 31, 2020.
  31. ↑ Wilson, Kirby; Mower, Lawrence (October 4, 2021). "Florida First Lady Casey DeSantis diagnosed with breast cancer". Tampa Bay Times. Archived from the original on November 8, 2022. Retrieved October 5, 2021.
  32. ↑ DeSantis, Ron [@GovRonDeSantis] (March 3, 2022). "Excited to share this update about First Lady @FLCaseyDeSantis' health" (Tweet). Archived from the original on March 4, 2022. Retrieved March 3, 2022 – via Twitter.
  33. ↑ "'She's got an awful lot to live for': Gov. DeSantis puts faith in God as wife battles cancer". October 12, 2021.
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