Some suburban women drawn to Ron DeSantis' presidential campaign over his support of reopening schools early in the pandemic jokingly call him 'Freedom Daddy'
- Some suburban women have gravitated to Gov. Ron DeSantis' 2024 campaign over school reopenings, per CNN.
- DeSantis pushed for full in-person instruction among children earlier than officials in many states.
When schools across the US shut down in March 2020 during the earliest days of the coronavirus pandemic, many parents began to wonder how long their children would be learning from home.
Months later, when it was clear that COVID-19 would be an enduring health issue that would impact the way students would interact with their friends and family for years to come, many officials and localities sought to keep remote learning as an option for schoolchildren.
But some officials, including Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida, pushed to reopen schools for in-person learning despite a surge in COVID-19 infections in the state — a stance that became a divisive issue for parents across the country, with many railing against their local school boards over decisions not to fully reopen schools.
And as DeSantis launched his bid for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, some suburban women — including a swath of women who have backed Democratic presidential nominees in the past — are keen on a presidential campaign by the Florida governor, according to CNN.
Vanessa Steinkamp, a Texas teacher and mother of three, told CNN that it was critical for schools to reopen in a timely manner, as she felt vulnerable students would be left behind academically without in-person instruction.
She watched DeSantis push for in-person learning early in the pandemic, and in the spring of 2021, remarked to the network that she was firmly behind the governor's position.
"If DeSantis were to run tomorrow, he would win," Steinkamp told CNN at the time. "All he has to do is run on opening schools."
Recently, a circle of like-minded friends Steinkamp amassed over the school reopening issue told CNN that they had jokingly referred to DeSantis as "Daddy DeSantis" and "Freedom Daddy."