Florida governor Ron DeSantis has launched a presidential bid, and hopes to be selected as the Republican nominee for next year's US election.
He is a big thorn in the side of former President Donald Trump, who wants to return to the White House.
DeSantis revealed his decision in a Federal Election Commission filing before an online conversation with Twitter CEO Elon Musk.
The 44-year-old was born in Jacksonville, Florida and has served as the 46th governor of Florida since 2019.
He began his political career after graduating from Yale university, then attending Harvard Law school. He also joined the US navy in 2004.
The 44-year-old Republican revealed his decision in a Federal Election Commission filing before an online conversation with Twitter CEO Elon Musk. (Source: 1News)
He started to gain national recognition during his tenure as a congressman from 2013 to 2018.
During his time in Congress, he became a staunch ally of former President Donald Trump and an early supporter of Trump's presidential campaign.
Trump endorsed DeSantis' ultimately successful run for governor.
In recent years, he has become a rising star of the Republican party – especially popular among those wanting an alternative to Donald Trump to run in the 2024 election.
In his role as governor, DeSantis has pushed a conservative agenda, and more recently signed legislation banning state finding for diversity and inclusion programs at public Florida schools.
As it became clear DeSantis was considering a presidential bid, the relationship between Trump and DeSantis soured.
Trump, who has famously come up with nicknames for his political opponents, has started calling him "Ron DeSanctimonious".
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