TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — In a twist, the state of Florida's top higher education board voted Tuesday against a contract for Santa Ono, who was set to be the next president of the University of Florida. The decision came after growing opposition on the right to Ono's past statements about diversity, equity and inclusion, Covid and transgender rights, among other issues. Under Gov. Ron DeSantis, Florida has prided itself on being at the vanguard of the national conservative movement. But the rejection of Ono, the former president of the University of Michigan, put DeSantis in a thorny political position, and it was a notable outcome in a state Republican ecosystem generally defined by donors and influential figures' getting their way. One of DeSantis' longtime biggest political supporters — Mori Hosseini, the billionaire chair of the University of Florida Board of Trustees — strongly backed Ono's bid to become president of the state's flagship university. On the other hand, national conservatives, including Christopher Rufo, an activist whobuilt his reputationfighting racial sensitivity trainings and critical race theory courses;Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., a Trump ally running for governor; and Donald Trump Jr. argued that Ono's past support for DEI policies made him unqualified for the job. "WTF! Have the decision makers at @UF lost their minds!???" Trump Jr.wrote on Xlast month. "This woke psycho might be a perfect fit for a Communist school in California, but how is he even being considered for this role in Florida? "Every single member of the Florida Board of Governors should vote against him!!!" he continued. Two Trump advisers familiar with the issue said his post did not speak for the White House, which was not officially engaged in the fight. Trump Jr.'s post amplifiedone from Rufo, whom DeSantis has praised and whom he appointed to a separate university board in the state in 2023. Rufo's message blasted Ono for a video in which he promoted "equity and inclusion ... embedded in all areas of academic work" when he was president and vice chancellor at the University of British Columbia in Canada. Ono's record on DEI policies, the handling of the Covid pandemic and issues like environmental justice were heavily scrutinized Tuesday at the meeting of the Florida Board of Governors, the state's top education board, which needed to vote to ratify Ono's new contract. Ono said repeatedly that he had "evolved" on those issues at a hearing that lasted nearly four hours. But the board ultimately rejected him in a 10-6 vote, with notable "no" votes from DeSantis allies, including former state House Speakers Jose Oliva and Paul Renner, along with the outgoing leader of the state Education Department, Manny Diaz, whom DeSantis recently appointed to lead the University of West Florida. "There is no way those guys vote against him without getting some signal from the governor," a longtime DeSantis adviser said. "I don't know if anyone expected this, but if you look at the votes, I think that tells you where the governor is at." Four Florida Republicans told NBC News that their understanding was that DeSantis was initially behind Ono but that the national conservative backlash forced him to not fully put his support behind him publicly or make direct calls to the Board of Governors. But behind the scenes, his team was quietly discussing how to give him a push, according to two people familiar with the matter. One of them said DeSantis' chief of staff, Jason Weida, was making calls in support of Ono ahead of the vote. Underscoring the politically sensitive nature of the vote, DeSantis' political operation tried to claim some victory after it. "Santa Ono is OUT,"posted Jordan Schachtel, a newly hired DeSantis political staffer. "The Florida Board of Governors has voted to Reject Ono as President of the University of Florida." "Florida has voted to reject wokeness, DEI, CRT, at our flagship university," he continued. Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., also praised the vote, saying it was the "right decision." Donalds, who has Trump's backing in his 2026 bid for governor, was an Ono skeptic from the start. Notably, DeSantis' wife, Casey, is also considering a run for governor, and the two prominent Florida Republicans are seen as being on a political collision course if Casey DeSantis ultimately decides to run. "I give credit to the Florida Board of Governors for standing up for Florida's conservative values," Donalds told NBC News. "Woke has no place in our university system. It's time to restart the presidential search at UF." Other longtime Florida operatives said Donalds and other conservative groups amplifying the fight to the Republican political base nationally helped keep DeSantis out of the conversation in a more public way. "The governor was obviously all in," a DeSantis ally said. "Then Byron Donalds and [the conservative group] Turning Point came out against. The governor in the end does the one thing he knows how to do: run away and protect himself." DeSantis' office did not respond to a request for comment. During the contentious meeting, Ono tried to explain that he has had an "evolution" of thought on issues like DEI and that he was both aligned with and attracted to Florida's brand of governance, which has cracked down on both. "Those sorts of programs will not have a place at the University of Florida," he told the board. Still, it wasn't enough to convince the skeptics on the board. "I really, really want to try to get to a yes," board member Carson Good said. "I can't give a [yes vote], but I wish you the very best and will support you if you win."
