TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — In a twist, the state of Florida’s top higher education board voted Tuesday against a contract for Santa Ono, who was set to be the next president of the University of Florida. The decision came after growing opposition on the right to Ono's past statements about diversity, equity and inclusion, Covid and transgender rights, among other issues. Under Gov. Ron DeSantis, Florida has prided itself on being at the vanguard of the national conservative movement. But the rejection of Ono, the former president of the University of Michigan, put DeSantis in a thorny political position, and it was a notable outcome in a state Republican ecosystem generally defined by donors and influential figures’ g

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