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Political refugees: Why a family fleeing Ron DeSantis’ Florida chose Swarthmore

Why two top Fla. Dems fled for a Philly suburb, joining an exodus of political refugees from Gov. Ron DeSantis' increasingly authoritarian state.

Stacey and Sanjay Patel at their home in Swarthmore, Pa. Thursday, July 13, 2023. The Patels were rising stars and committed activists in the Democratic Party in Satellite Beach, Fla., the seaside town where Stacey grew up. But they were stunned by the verbal abuse they started receiving from local Republicans, and the increasingly authoritarian reign of Gov. Ron DeSantis convinced them they no longer wanted to raise their 2-year-old daughter in Florida.
Stacey and Sanjay Patel at their home in Swarthmore, Pa. Thursday, July 13, 2023. The Patels were rising stars and committed activists in the Democratic Party in Satellite Beach, Fla., the seaside town where Stacey grew up. But they were stunned by the verbal abuse they started receiving from local Republicans, and the increasingly authoritarian reign of Gov. Ron DeSantis convinced them they no longer wanted to raise their 2-year-old daughter in Florida.Read moreJose F. Moreno/ Staff Photographer
    by Will Bunch | Columnist
    Published