Following a victory in the Republican primary, U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis speaks to a crowd of supporters on Tuesday night during his election watch party at the Rosen Shingle Creek resort in Orlando. Credit: Photo by Joey Roulette
Proving the influence President Donald Trump still has over Florida Republicans, U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis won the GOP gubernatorial nomination Tuesday night.

Early state returns show DeSantis trouncing state Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam by a margin of 56 percent of the vote to almost 37 percent. 


Although Putnam was the establishment favorite, President Trump endorsed DeSantis multiple times.

DeSantis has been supportive of the president, especially on Fox News, where he’s spent months trying to undermine the Russia investigation and defending Trump.     

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This article appears in Aug 22-28, 2018.