Governor-Elect Ron DeSantis told reporters in Orlando Tuesday night he is relieved after winning a hard fought election over Democrat Andrew Gillum.
"I told him, look you are a hell of an adversary, I don't think any other Democrat could have done what you did," DeSantis said after speaking with Gillum over the phone.
DeSantis, a former congressman from Northeast Florida became the 46th governor of Florida by beating Gillum, the Tallahassee Mayor by about 75,000 votes.
DeSantis said he tried to ignore the results as they came in Tuesday evening.
"My wife and I just tuned it out, I mean what are we gonna do? We have no control, I was not following every little county."
DeSantis was endorsed by President Trump during the primary, and vowed to persuade the president to continue working with him to improve Florida's water quality issues.
The governor-elect will have to fill three pending vacancies on the State Supreme Court. DeSantis said he will appoint judges who will "interpret the law, not re-write it."
He also wants to unite Floridians after a brutal general election campaign.
"I think you turn the page on the political stuff. I felt I was unfairly demagogued on a lot of different things, but you know what? I'll work with people who wanted to defeat me. At some point the campaigning has to stop."
DeSantis' running mate, Rep. Jeanette Nunez will become the highest elected Hispanic official in state history when she is sworn in as Lt. Governor in January.
