NAPLES, Fla. — Republican Ron DeSantis on Tuesday defied nearly every poll with a narrow victory over Democrat Andrew Gillum in Florida’s race for governor.
DeSantis, a former House lawmaker, conservative and staunch supporter of President Trump, will succeed GOP Gov. Rick Scott.
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It’s a significant win for President Trump, who will now have a GOP governor in place to campaign for him in 2020 in one of the most important swing states in the nation.
DeSantis campaigned on keeping Florida taxes low, reducing government regulations, banning so-called sanctuary cities and working to combat Florida’s environmental problems.
His victory comes after two recent visits from President Trump, who held two Florida rallies aimed at energizing the GOP base.
Gillum, the charismatic mayor of Tallahassee, accused DeSantis of racism throughout the campaign in an effort to energize the Democratic base while DeSantis warned voters of Gillum’s role in drawing an FBI corruption probe of the Tallahassee government.
