# Casey DeSantis

Jill Casey DeSantis (née Black; born June 26, 1980) is an American former news journalist and the current first lady of Florida as the wife of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.

## Early life and education

Jill Casey Black was born on June 26, 1980, in Columbus, Ohio, the second child of Robert Black, an optometrist and former officer in the United States Air Force, and Jeanne Caponigro, a speech-language pathologist and the daughter of a Sicilian immigrant.
Black graduated from Troy High School in Troy, Ohio, in 1999. She graduated from the College of Charleston, where she received a Bachelor of Science in economics with a minor in French. She competed on its equestrian team.

## Media career

Early in her career, DeSantis hosted the Golf Channel programs On The Tee and PGA Tour Today. She was also a local newscaster and anchor for WJXT, in Jacksonville, Florida. She held several positions there, including general assignment reporter, morning anchor, and police reporter.
In 2014, DeSantis was a creator-moderator for The Chat, an hour-long round table panel discussion talk show that aired on Tegna's Jacksonville stations WTLV (NBC) and WJXX (ABC). She hosted the daily local talk show First Coast Living as well as the weekly The American Dream program about entrepreneurs. DeSantis wrote and produced the television documentary Champion, The JT Townsend Story about high school football player J.T. Townsend. She also won a regional Suncoast Emmy Award.
In 2018, Florida Politics called Casey "one of the most recognizable faces on Jacksonville television, with long runs at two local news operations."

## First Lady of Florida

In February 2019, DeSantis established the First Lady's Medal for Courage, Commitment, and Service. Soon after, she announced Florida's 2019 Black History Month theme as "Celebrating Public Service" where she and the governor honored the winners of Florida's Black History Month student contests and Excellence in Education Award recipients at the Governor's Mansion. DeSantis recognized Mary Ann Carroll, the only female member of the Highwaymen, as Florida's featured artist for the month.
DeSantis participated in a Recovery Redfish Release to address the impacts of red tide. "I've heard from those throughout Florida who understand that our water must be safe for our families, visitors and economy." DeSantis has hosted listening sessions on Venezuela, hurricane relief, and mental health.
In August 2019, DeSantis presided over the first meeting of the Florida Children and Youth Cabinet as its chair. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she and her husband held a roundtable in August 2020 centered on the mental health impact of the pandemic.
According to Politico, DeSantis has taken on a "sort of policy portfolio of her own that ranges from hurricane recovery to issues of mental health" in her role as First Lady.

## Political activity

In 2023, Casey DeSantis was honored by the Republican Party of Sarasota as "Stan of the Year", an award that had been earned in the past by individuals including her husband, Ron DeSantis, and other national officeholders. She became the first woman to receive the distinction.

### Ron DeSantis 2024 presidential campaign

DeSantis was an advisor to her husband's 2024 presidential campaign. The New York Times has noted her role in advising her husband on media strategy and policy matters. In December 2023, she was criticized for telling Republicans nationwide to participate in the Iowa caucus.

### Potential political future

After receiving the Stateswoman of the Year award, speculation surrounding a potential bid by Casey DeSantis in Florida's 2026 gubernatorial election has emerged. However, Puck reported that a spokesperson for the DeSantis campaign denied her interest in running for office.

## Personal life

She met Ron DeSantis, then a naval officer at Naval Station Mayport, on a golf course at the University of North Florida. They married on September 26, 2009, at Walt Disney World Resort, which Ron DeSantis later called "kind of ironic" in the wake of his battle with the company over the Florida Parental Rights in Education Act. They have three children together: two daughters and a son.
On October 4, 2021, her husband announced that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer. On March 3, 2022, she announced that she was cancer-free.
Like her husband, DeSantis is Roman Catholic.