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Gov. DeSantis makes shortlist for TIME's 2022 Person of the Year

The magazine will reveal its selection for the 2022 Person of the Year on Wednesday.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has been named a finalist for TIME's 2022 Person of the Year — a title awarded to the person the magazine's editors feel had the most influence over the world this year, for better or for worse.

TIME revealed its 10-person shortlist on the "Today" show on Monday. Each year since 1927, the magazine has given the title to a different world leader, celebrity or otherwise influential figure.

The magazine will reveal its selection for 2022 Person of the Year on Wednesday.

"Today" listed several of the legislative actions DeSantis took in 2022 as reasons the Florida governor made the list, including the controversial "Parental Right in Education Act." The law, dubbed "Don't Say Gay" by critics, restricts classroom instruction on gender identity and sexual orientation from kindergarten through third grade.

The list also mentioned DeSantis' ongoing squabble with Walt Disney World, his landslide reelection victory and speculation over a 2024 presidential run. 

Other finalists for TIME's 2022 Person of the Year include China's President Xi Jinping, the U.S. Supreme Court, Elon Musk, Liz Cheney, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, MacKenzie Scott, protesters in Iran, Janet Yellen and gun safety advocates.

In May, DeSantis was named one of TIME Magazine's 100 Most Influential People of 2022, largely in recognition of his anti-lockdown COVID-19 policies.

The Person of the Year designation is not necessarily an honor. It is the magazine's attempt to highlight the person who has had the most influence on the world over the past year, and whose year in review appears to be an example of more influence moving forward.  

Last year, the 2021 Person of the Year title, and corresponding magazine cover, went to Musk, who dominated headlines for his SpaceX and Tesla business developments.

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