Ron DeSantis is suddenly looking like a frontrunner for 2028 after a brutal election night for Republicans, which is good news for him and bad news for rivals like JD Vance and Marco Rubio.

• DeSantis called the midterm losses an "extinction level event" for the GOP, noting Republicans will control only one of the ten biggest states (Florida) once new governors take office, while even Texas saw major losses.
• Betting markets moved fast after election night: DeSantis jumped from under 4% to around 18%, while Vance slipped and Rubio held roughly steady, with some pointing to Rubio's association with the Iran conflict as a drag on his numbers.
• On the Democratic side, a similar jump happened with a lesser-known figure surging into second place behind Gavin Newsom and AOC.
• Discussion also centered on Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth facing possible firing over the Iran war fallout, and on Texas's shifting demographics and politics as a long-term risk for Republican control of the state.

Outlook: Expect DeSantis to keep gaining ground as an alternative 2028 contender while pressure builds on Trump to shake up his cabinet, including possibly removing Hegseth.