Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) is predicting increased enthusiasm in the midterm elections this year, as the Chinese coronavirus, he said, has made people realize that the “governor has been more consequential in your daily lives than even the President of the United States.”

DeSantis, speaking on a Friday episode of the variety program Ruthless, noted that less people typically vote in the midterm elections than the presidential elections. But, he has a feeling that will shift a bit this year.

“Because of COVID, people realize the governor has been more consequential in your daily lives than even the President of the United States,” he said, speaking as one governor who refused to lock down his state for months on end, much to the dismay of the left and establishment media.

“And so, we have an opportunity to not just get all of you to the polls, but to get your friends and neighbors who don’t always vote in these races, and we’re going to have a tsunami of turnout in November 2022,” he predicted.

“And that’s what’s really exciting about it,” he said, expressing hope in rewriting the political map of Florida, adding:

Of course, my election is very important, but you know, we have congressional races that are going to be up, we have got a lot of important things up and down the ballot, so we have great energy and we have an opportunity, I think, to build a phenomenal coalition.

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Notably, recent polls consistently show DeSantis leading his potential Democrat challengers, including Rep. Charlie Crist (D-FL), as well as Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services Nikki Fried (D).