DeSantis touts accomplishments, paves way for future in State of the State address: 'Florida is number one'

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis opened the new session of the Florida legislature Tuesday in a speech touting his administration's accomplishments and promising that Florida will remain "number one" through his second term. 

At the beginning his annual State of the State address, DeSantis — a former Navy officer and JAG prosecutor — gave Tallahassee lawmakers the bottom line, up front, "Florida is number one, and working together we will ensure that Florida remains the number one state in these United States." 

Fresh off a 19-point landslide re-election victory, the governor touted the accomplishments of his first term, mentioning cutting taxes, defending parental rights in education and standing up to the "bio-medical security state" by opposing "jab or job" vaccine mandates — actions that have each won praise from conservative admirers around the country. He bragged that Florida ranks number one for immigration from other states, number one in economic growth among large states, number one in tourism and has record-low unemployment and record-high budget surpluses.