Dron DeSpagis

**Education:** University of Central Florida (UCF)

**Dronald Ulysses DeSpagis** (born July 22, 1987), otherwise known as **DrSpaghetti** or **Doctor Spaghetti**, is an American politician, former businessman and doctor serving as the 47th Governor of Florida. He assumed office on January 8, 2025, after defeating three other candidates in the 2024 gubernatorial election. A Democrat, DeSpagis formerly led his family’s pasta-making company *Spagis Spaghetti*. Prior to his governorship, he served as Mayor of Jacksonville from 2023 to 2025.

## Early life and education

Dron DeSpagis was born on July 22 1987, to Helen and Hector DeSpagis, an immigrant couple from Italy who ran a pasta-making business in Fort Lauderdale. He graduated from a local school and would later attend the University of Central Florida (UCF), where he received a PhD in Texts and Technology. DeSpagis went on to attend medical school, and left the family pasta-making company *Spagis Spaghetti* to become a doctor in Jacksonville.

Following the 2008 financial crash, *Spagis Spaghetti* fell into financial issues and was at risk of bankruptcy. DeSpagis promptly returned to the company while remaining living in Jacksonville, helping his father Hector stabilize the business and return it to normalcy. Hector would resign as head of the company in 2014, with DeSpagis succeeding him and soon expanding operations from a small family business to a larger enterprise. The company’s sales grew, with DeSpagis resisting offers of purchase by larger corporations and moving *Spagis*’s headquarters to Jacksonville. Wages were relatively high for the area, as Hector DeSpagis had established a business code in the 1990s to benefit his workers and assure they had a good standard of living; DeSpagis supported this code in his time as company head.

## Political Career

DeSpagis first began speculating about entering politics around the 2019 Jacksonville Mayoral Election, in which incumbent republican Lenny Curry won with 58% of the vote, at 24% turnout. Of the election, DeSpagis said in an interview with a local paper:

*”I think last week’s [sic] turnout really shows how people have become disenchanted with politics in our city. They don’t trust that our politicians will do the job they’re elected to do. That’s what needs to change, I think… we need somebody who’s gonna bring real change, who’s gonna support everybody in this city and try to bring us together.”*

When asked if said candidate could be him, DeSpagis said:

*”I don’t know. It’s far too early to say. But I wouldn’t rule anything out.”*

### 2023 Jacksonville Mayoral Election

DeSpagis announced his intention to run for mayor of Jacksonville in September, 2022, as a democrat. In his announcement speech, he said: “I’ve filed as a democrat, as I feel that is the party with which I align the most politically, however this does not define me. We’ve seen the damage partisan leadership has done, and so I intend to look out for every citizen of this city when I’m mayor, no matter their affiliation.”

Mayor Curry was term limited and could not run again. DeSpagis’ main opponent was republican LeAnna Cumber, a city councilwoman. DeSpagis ran a relatively non-partisan campaign, calling for supporting school businesses, better schools and tackling crime. Cumber attempted to paint him as a socialist, however this tactic failed and DeSpagis went rose up in the polls, winning the primary and running a very public campaign of visits and op-eds. DeSpagis won the election on 21 March, 2023, with 53.95% of the vote to Cumber’s 38.91%, while several independent and other republican candidates also won many votes. Turnout was estimated at 43%, a significant increase from 2019.

### Mayor of Jacksonville

Dron DeSpagis assumed the office of mayor of Jacksonville on July 1, 2023, three months after the election. He had handed over control of Spagis Spaghetti a few days prior, to his brother Lon, who he had previously put in charge of the company during the mayoral campaign but had not yet given full ownership.

DeSpagis’s tenure was defined by implementing measures to support small businesses, attempting to tackle crime, and some social reform, as well as moves to improve infrastructure and education. His office states that he often met with constituents, more so than previous mayors, and his mayorship has been described by one local news source as “public and interactive”. DeSpagis voiced his opposition to certain social laws passed by Florida governor Ron DeSantis, and increased efforts to support communities such as LGBTQ+ in the city that had previously been sidelined. DeSpagis often attempted to find compromise between democratic and republican councillors in implementing his policies.

### 2024 Florida Gubernatorial Election

DeSpagis soon began considering a run for Florida governor in 2024. Incumbent Governor DeSantis was term-limited, and could not run again. Though staffers report that he was initially hesitant about his prospects, DeSpagis soon announced his candidacy in late 2023.