TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Gov. Ron DeSantis pulled no punches on the Republican Party’s disastrous performance in the midterms while speaking at a post-election press conference in Tallahassee on Wednesday, a day after Democrats won control of both chambers of Congress.

“To call it a wave I don’t think would be fully accurate. It’s the political equivalent of a meteor strike that went all around the United States — blue states, red states, and everything in between,” DeSantis said. The governor also called it an “extinction-level event” not seen in 100 years.

Nothing short of a “blue tsunami,” Republicans saw Democrats easily retake control of the House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate largely due to the Iran War and affordability. That included red-state losses in South Carolina, Ohio and Texas, where Democrat James Talarico won a U.S. Senate seat.

But not all was lost for Republicans in Florida. Congressman Byron Donalds held off Democrat David Jolly in the governor’s race, while U.S. Sen. Ashley Moody fended away Democratic Socialist Angie Nixon in the Senate special election. Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, Florida Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia, and Florida Agricultural Commissioner Wilton Simpson also avoided upsets.

“The one state that was able to hold the line and withstand that is right here in the free state of Florida,” DeSantis said. “All statewide races: U.S. Senate, governor, attorney general, chief financial officer, and agricultural commissioner were held and won by our Republican candidates. And I don’t think that there’s any other state that can say that given all the carnage that was inflicted last night.”

DeSantis also praised the approval of Amendment 3, a measure to reduce property taxes in the state. The proposal, which required 60% to pass, received 62% of the vote from Florida voters. “It got a resounding yes vote. I’m very proud of everyone that had been a part of that, and I know that that’s something that’s very meaningful for a lot of Floridians,” DeSantis said.

Moreover, DeSantis credited the measure for helping Republicans avoid a collapse. “The truth is, and this is something that I push for over many months and even over the last year, had Amendment Three not been on the ballot, I don’t know that we turn out the voters that we ended up turning out,” DeSantis said. Florida was able to avoid a blue tsunami, setting up the outgoing governor — whose term ends on Jan. 5, 2027 — for a possible 2028 presidential run.