He withdrew later that year, citing an impossibility to combine his position as Health Minister in charge of the COVID-19 pandemic efforts with his party leadership.

[3] In 2010, De Jonge was appointed an alderman in the Rotterdam municipal executive, tasked with the Education, Youth and Family portfolio.

As such, he argued in 2013 on national television for the closing of the Islamic school association Ibn Ghaldoun after a number of problems came to light.

[2] On 18 June 2020, De Jonge announced his candidacy for the leadership of the Christian Democratic Appeal, which had been vacant since the resignation of Sybrand van Haersma Buma in May 2019.

However, De Jonge continued to introduce new legislative proposals as no housing-related subjects had been exempted from consideration by the House of Representatives.

[18] His term as minister ended on 2 July 2024, when the Schoof cabinet was sworn in, and he became acting King's Commissioner of Zeeland on 16 September 2024, succeeding Han Polman.