Rep. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., and Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum won the Republican and Democratic nominations for Florida governor Tuesday. The political establishment, in both cases, lost.
Neither party got their preferred gubernatorial candidate, and now a hard-charging conservative will square off against a liberal progressive in an encapsulation of the current political moment.
[New: Ron DeSantis to Florida: Don’t ‘monkey this up’ by voting for black opponent Andrew Gillum]
Establishment Republicans preferred Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam because of his statewide name recognition, his war chest, and his ties to Tallahassee. The electorate thought differently, though, and went for DeSantis by almost 20 points. The win is best explained by temperament and President Trump’s endorsement.
DeSantis has never shied away from throwing elbows and going on the offense, a holdover from his time as a member of the cantankerous House Freedom Caucus. He made immigration a defining issue, became a Fox News darling by appearing on that channel almost every week, and ran as a surrogate of the president. DeSantis leapfrogged establishment gatekeepers and won the nomination with pro-Trump appeals like this one:
A similar story played out with Gillum, albeit by slimmer margins. The Democratic establishment lined up behind former Rep. Gwen Graham, the daughter of former senator and Florida governor Bob Graham. But legacy couldn’t overcome enthusiasm for the upstart progressive who embraced liberal causes for things like “Medicare for all.” Gillum eked out a win by three points.
Just like DeSantis had Trump in his corner, Gillum also had his own champions. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., endorsed the Democrat and billionaire Tom Steyer helped fund his campaign.
Now the national backers for both candidates have stepped into the gap left by the state party establishments. Not only is Florida a key swing state, it will be a battleground for the far-left and far-right ideologies fighting it out for the soul of either party.
Sanders was quick to congratulate: “What has made Andrew’s campaign so powerful is that he’s not just working hard to win an election, he has laid out a vision for a new course for the state of Florida and our country. No one person can take on the economic and political elites on their own.”
Trump immediately attacked:
Not only did Congressman Ron DeSantis easily win the Republican Primary, but his opponent in November is his biggest dream….a failed Socialist Mayor named Andrew Gillum who has allowed crime & many other problems to flourish in his city. This is not what Florida wants or needs!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 29, 2018
The winner of the general election won’t just win the governor’s mansion then. They will win a key battle in determining the direction of their party.
