Former University of Michigan President Santa Ono was rejected by the state of Florida’s Board of Governors Tuesday afternoon in his bid to become the next president of the University of Florida. This comes nearly a month after Ono announced he would be stepping down as University president to pursue the role.

Ono had previously been selected as the sole finalist in the search process for UF’s 14th president, and on May 27, the Florida Board of Trustees unanimously approved Ono’s nomination before bringing the final vote before the Board of Governors. However, during the confirmation hearing, Ono faced harsh questioning regarding his prior support for progressive policies such as diversity, equity and inclusion programs and climate change efforts.

Several conservative leaders p

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