Intro

As the race to be the Republican Party’s presidential candidate gets underway, one figure has emerged as a particularly powerful rival to Donald J. Trump.

That person, Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida, has broken away from the pack by turning his state into a laboratory for a post-Trump version of conservatism.

Guest: Patricia Mazzei, the Miami bureau chief for The New York Times.

Background reading:

• Mr. DeSantis will soon get a chance to check off his wish list of proposals for Florida, including expanding gun rights.
• In his new book, “The Courage to Be Free,” Mr. DeSantis offers a template for governing.

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