WASHINGTON—Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a national conservative leader with working-class roots, will deliver a major policy speech at The Heritage Foundation’s 50th anniversary Leadership Summit on Friday, April 21, in National Harbor, Maryland.
DeSantis’ remarks will be the concluding speech at Heritage’s two-day Leadership Summit, taking place April 20-21 at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center. The summit will feature members of Congress, conservative leaders, and leading media commentators.
As the keynote speaker for the Leadership Summit, DeSantis will discuss the most pressing issues facing America and his success implementing the Florida Blueprint, a conservative policy agenda that propelled the state to No. 1 in growth rate, tourism, new business formations, parental involvement in education, and public higher education. DeSantis rejected government-imposed COVID mandates, declaring the “free state of Florida” would prioritize commonsense over authoritarianism.
“Conservatives are craving a bold and visionary leader who gets things done—and that’s exactly what Gov. Ron DeSantis has accomplished in Florida,” Heritage President Dr. Kevin Roberts said. “Heritage recognized Florida as the top state in America for parental rights and school choice, largely because of Gov. DeSantis’ leadership. He’s unafraid to take on woke and powerful corporate interests while putting the values of everyday Floridians first and foremost.”
The two days of Leadership Summit programming are part of Heritage’s 50th anniversary celebration. Other events include a Thursday welcome reception at George Washington’s Mount Vernon with Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin and a Friday evening gala with Fox News host Tucker Carlson. Heritage will announce additional speakers in the coming weeks.
DeSantis was elected the 46th governor of Florida in 2018 and re-elected by a historic 20-point margin in 2022. He grew up in Florida and later served in the U.S. Navy as a JAG officer. He served in Iraq in support of the Navy SEAL mission in Fallujah, Ramadi, and the Al Anbar province, receiving the Bronze Star Medal for Meritorious Service and the Iraq Campaign Medal.
After working as a federal prosecutor, DeSantis was elected to Congress in 2012. He developed a close relationship with Heritage during his time in Washington, collaborating on education, economic, security, and cultural issues.
Heritage’s Leadership Summit will kick off the morning of Thursday, April 20, with remarks from Heritage’s president. The summit will demonstrate consensus around big-picture questions facing America and deliver a conservative policy agenda equipped to unite the movement around an offensive strategy to take back our country from the regime of the Left, restore self-governance, and rebuild key institutions of civil society.
Featuring leaders from every sector of the conservative coalition, the Leadership Summit will further unpack strategies and tactics for the federal, state, and local levels to both halt the Left’s cultural onslaught and defend and strengthen our most cherished institutions and principles.
Heritage will announce additional information and Leadership Summit speakers in the coming weeks. The summit will be open to a limited number of news outlets. For more information, click here. To apply for a press pass, click here. For inquiries, please contact Noah Weinrich ([email protected]).
