Gov. Ron DeSantis has announced a $2 million grant for SeaPort Manatee to rebuild a dock and make other infrastructure improvements.

The project will lead to 300 jobs, DeSantis said during a press conference in Palmetto.

“We want to continue to make strong investments in ports like this one,” DeSantis said. “Florida, being a big Peninsula, you would imagine that seaports would be very, very important. … Florida seaports continue to grow, and that is evident here at SeaPort Manatee.”

It’s the Governor’s latest effort to highlight projects funded by Florida Job Growth Grant Fund. Earlier this week, DeSantis noted a $2 million state grant going toward expanding rail service to a Polk County industrial park.

At SeaPort Manatee, the Manatee County Port Authority investment will rebuild and repave South Dock Street, improve stormwater mitigation and make other infrastructure projects that help aerospace and automotive product manufacturer Honeywell, the Governor said.

Over the next five years, Honeywell plans to expand with a cold storage warehouse, a fuel terminal and a manufacturing facility, DeSantis said.

Already, Florida’s ports create about 1.2 million jobs and carry about $195 billion in economic value to the state — about 13% of Florida’s total GDP, DeSantis said Friday.

Manatee’s port at the mouth of Tampa Bay and the closest deepwater seaport to the Panama Canal plays a big role in Florida’s maritime industry, DeSantis said.

The port handles 400 million gallons of fuel, food, construction materials and more that gets sent across Southwest Florida and the rest of the country.

The $2 million grant comes as the area is recovering from back-to-back Hurricanes Helene and Milton.

Florida Department of Transportation Secretary Jared Perdue praised DeSantis and the additional funding as he stood next to the Governor at Friday’s press conference.

“If you look at Florida’s 16 deepwater seaports alone under the Governor’s tenure, we’ve invested over $1 billion dollars in seaport infrastructure,” Perdue said. “That’s truly incredible, and it’s really one of those things that has helped our economy continue to grow and thrive.”

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Ron DeSantis continues to struggle in 2028 Presidential Primary surveys, with a new poll showing DeSantis with his worst number so far.

The survey of Republican voters from Echelon Insights shows the Florida Governor with just 7% support nationwide.

That anemic number ties him for second place with two other candidates from last cycle: former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. 

Vice President JD Vance has 46% support, meanwhile.

Further back is another Florida man: Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who has 4%.

DeSantis performs best with senior citizens. He has 13% support among those 65 years of age and over. He’s also at 10% with those who attended graduate school.

Rubio finds his strongest backing among Hispanic voters, with 10% support.

Echelon polled 475 registered Republicans between March 10 and March 13.

DeSantis said last year that he hasn’t “ruled anything out” and that he will “see what the future holds.”

But so far, the future looks bleak.

A previous Echelon Insights survey conducted between Feb. 10 and Feb. 13 found the Governor of Florida at 10% support, 29 points behind Vance.

A January survey from McLaughlin & Associates showed DeSantis at 8%, behind Vance and Donald Trump Jr.

DeSantis was also at 8% in an Echelon Insights poll of the theoretical contest conducted last year, with Vance nearly 30 points ahead of him.

At a straw poll conducted at last month’s Conservative Political Action Conference, DeSantis mustered 7% support, finishing far behind Vance’s 61% and also behind Steve Bannon, whose 12% support surprised many observers.

As of now, DeSantis couldn’t win his home state, according to one survey.

A survey released exclusively to Florida Politics by Fabrizio Lee & Associates shows that Vance would defeat the Governor 47% to 33%.

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