Floridians are just getting to know Republican gubernatorial candidate Ron DeSantis -- his agenda, his style, his story. Even if he becomes Florida's 46th governor, however, we may never figure out the biggest mystery of all:
How the heck do you pronounce his name?
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Seems straight forward. Just watch him speaking to the camera in a recent TV ad: "I'm Ron Dee-Santis …"
At Dunedin High everybody called him Dee. Case closed, right?
Well, check out Casey DeSantis, in that Donald Trump adoration ad featuring Dee teaching his toddler daughter to build a wall and dressing his infant son in a Trump onesie.
"Everyone knows my husband Ron Deh-Santis is endorsed by President Trump …"
We asked DeSantis campaign communications director Stephen Lawson to straighten out the Dee/Deh conundrum. It had become the source of debate in our newsroom.
"It's also been a little controversial for us on the campaign trail," Lawson confessed. "He uses Dee-Santis."
But Casey Dee-Santis, seems to use Deh-Santis, right? Pause.
"Yes," Lawson allowed. And added, "He prefers Dee-Santis."
So is this a giant source of great friction between Mr. Dee-Santis and Mrs. Deh-Santis?
"I wouldn't go that far," Lawson deadpanned.
The Andrew Gil-LUM campaign declined to comment.