TALLAHASSEE, Florida — Gov. Ron DeSantis may be done with the presidential race. But he's not done with Florida and he's out to prove it.

In recent days, DeSantis has held press conferences ripping into President Joe Biden, Congress and Washington insiders. He’s weighed in on legislative battles underway in Tallahassee. The Republican governor even offered to send 1,000 troops to the southern border, all as he aims to resurrect his image and influence in his home state.

It all echoes early 2023, when DeSantis was gearing up for his much-anticipated 2024 bid against former President Donald Trump and other GOP candidates for president. Now less than two weeks after he returned to Florida as a failed White House aspirant, people within the DeSantis orbit say the governor is reminding Floridians that he’s still the state’s top official — while looking to his political future.

“This guy is never going to let the grass grow under his feet,” said longtime supporter and fundraiser Nick Iarossi. “He’s hit the ground running.”

DeSantis himself has said publicly that he’s refocused on his job as governor after spending eight months campaigning for president. He still has nearly three years left in the role before he’s termed out of........

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