Has about half of Florida’s tax-supported debt been retired under DeSantis’ tenure?

About 43% of Florida’s tax-supported debt has been paid off from 2018 through 2025.

Gov. Ron DeSantis claimed at an American Enterprise Institute conference on June 3 that half of the state’s debt had been cut during his tenure. Florida’s tax-supported debt in 2018 –  the year before DeSantis took office – was $17.5 billion. Of that, $7.3 billion has been retired through 2025. It’s not precisely half, but it’s close enough to validate DeSantis’ claim.

While his statement is mostly true, there are a couple of caveats.

That 43% figure accounts for only tax-supported debt, not all public debt the state has accumulated in its history. Also, while the debt was relieved during DeSantis’ tenure, it’s hard to estimate how much money can be attributed directly to his policies.