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Florida's largest police union backs DeSantis' candidacy

After endorsing Trump in 2020, the Florida Police Benevolent Association announced it would support DeSantis as he made "Florida a law-and-order state."

Ron DeSantis during a campaign rally for his presidential candidacy in Tulsa, Okla.

(Cordon Press).

Published by
Rosana Rábago Sainz

The Florida Police Benevolent Association (PBA) has made up its mind: it will support Governor Ron DeSantis in his presidential race. After endorsing former President Donald Trump in 2020, Florida's largest police union announced it would endorse the governor as a Republican candidate for the 2024 presidential election.

Florida PBA President John Kazanjian announced the union's decision to endorse the governor of Florida. According to the press release, the organization has decided to give its support to DeSantis after seeing how he has managed the Sunshine State, where the politician's unconditional support for the police stands out:

The ideological experiment of defunding the police and scapegoating law enforcement for America’s social problems has failed. Now more than ever, Americans must elect the one candidate for president who has a proven track record in enhancing public safety and investing in the essential men and women who help maintain public safety every day. For the over 30,000 men and women in the Florida Police Benevolent Association, the choice for us could not be clearer. Governor Ron DeSantis and his administration have made Florida a law-and-order state, by investing in and supporting the thousands of law enforcement officers, who serve on the front lines in keeping our communities safe and secure.

DeSantis improved the economic conditions of the Florida police. Kazanjian said the DeSantis administration allocated more than $100 million in pay raises for Florida law enforcement officers. It also budgeted another $20 million to provide law enforcement with additional funding to stop the spread of fentanyl in the state. In addition, the governor also increased penalties for serious crimes and recruited "the best men and women from all over the country" to join the state police force.

Florida PBA abandons Trump

Florida's largest police union's support for Ron DeSantis is a great loss for Donald Trump. The PBA expressed its full support for the former president in 2020, with Kazanjian claiming that Trump was "the one candidate for president who is committed to making our country safe and secure."

At that time, the president of the Floridian PBA stated that Trump "has never once wavered from his support of law enforcement officers," going so far as to state that his commitment to U.S. law enforcement "is our country’s last great hope to live in the kind of society where our communities thrive and our families prosper."

It was the first time in eight years that the union had spoken out politically, and it did so by giving its unconditional support to Trump. Now, three years later, the union's interests have changed and they are politically allied with DeSantis who will have the backing of the Sunshine State's largest police union.

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