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January 11, 2019During an inaugural ceremony outside the historic Capitol in Tallahassee, Gov. Ron DeSantis, Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez, and three members of the Florida Cabinet were formally sworn into office on Tuesday, January 8. New Attorney General Ashley Moody, new Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, and returning Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis will start four-year terms on the state Cabinet.
A Florida native, a military veteran, and a former congressman, Gov. DeSantis, who is a Republican, broadly outlined his agenda in his inaugural address. He pledged to keep Florida a low-tax state, to improve water quality and to end judicial activism. "It now falls to me to build upon the foundation that has been laid, navigate the challenges --- economic, environmental, constitutional --- that lie ahead, and steer Florida to a stronger, cleaner and safer future," said DeSantis. The governor will work with a Republican majority in both branches of the Florida Legislature.
An early morning prayer breakfast was included in the day's inaugural activities. Both Gov. DeSantis and Lt. Gov. Nuñez spoke to those in attendance. "Rights are granted by God, not by government," said DeSantis. Lt. Gov. Nuñez called herself "a woman of faith" and noted that she and the governor have people praying for them every step of the way.
Gov. DeSantis, a Roman Catholic, dispensed with the parade that typically takes place with an inauguration. He announced that he and his wife, Casey, instead would spend the time having their infant son, Mason, baptized with water they brought back from the Sea of Galilee in Israel. The governor and first lady also have a 2-year-old daughter, Madison.
