MIAMI — Gov. Ron DeSantis’s (R-FL) stand-alone debate against Charlie Crist (D-FL) could be good practice for the possible 2024 presidential contender before the Republican primary begins in earnest after next month’s midterm election.
Two weeks before Election Day, DeSantis is downplaying Florida voters’ only opportunity to compare him and former governor and federal lawmaker Crist side-by-side as he deals with the aftermath of deadly Hurricane Ian. Simultaneously, the debate elevates Crist’s scandal-embroiled campaign that was already handicapped by a $100 million fundraising disadvantage. But the national implications of a good performance are difficult to dismiss given DeSantis’s reelection seems almost certain.
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DeSantis is expected to underscore the economy, education, and immigration during his hourlong debate with Crist, starting at 7 p.m. Monday at Fort Pierce’s Sunrise Theater, according to aides. One staffer cited a DeSantis ad that aired for the first time last week that criticizes Crist for increasing taxes as governor and then again in Congress by supporting the Inflation Reduction Act.
“Immigration is always a big thing with keeping Florida from being a sanctuary state,” the source told the Washington Examiner. “We’re making a lot of contrast between the governor leading on education, raising teacher pay, protecting kids from [critical race theory] and sexualized lesson plans, and then contrasting that with Charlie’s record when he was governor.”
DeSantis, himself a former member of the House, special assistant U.S. attorney, and Navy lieutenant commander, clinched the governorship against 2018 Democratic nominee Andrew Gillum by less than a percentage point, 49.6% to 49.2%, after a recount. Four years later, DeSantis is a conservative darling and nationwide juggernaut due, in part, to his plain-spoken style of politics, his open approach to the pandemic, his advocacy of parental rights, and, more recently, his sending of immigrants to Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts.
“We were close in ’18. I think if you look now at 2022, I’m able to say that the things that I promised, not only did I deliver, I over-delivered on what I promised I would do,” DeSantis said during a raucous Israel- and education-focused engagement at a Surfside synagogue Sunday. “How many elected officials do that?”
University of South Florida emeritus government professor Darryl Paulson described the state’s governor race as a modified “old face” vs. the “new face” contest, in which DeSantis, despite being the incumbent, is considered to be the new face as Crist has “been around forever.”
“He’s popular with his base, he’s popular with independent voters,” Paulson said. “He has really benefited from the hurricane, one of the few people who’s probably really benefited from the hurricane, because it allowed him to show expertise and a lot of people haven’t seen them in action.”
Crist, who was governor from 2007 to 2011, reflected on how Florida has changed since he last held statewide office after a get-out-the-vote event in Jacksonville with Democratic National Committee Chairman Jaime Harrison. Crist, then a Republican and Florida’s attorney general, beat 2006 Democratic nominee Rep. Jim Davis by 7 points, 52% to 45%. Crist debuted likely debate attacks during his speech, scrutinizing “insincere, son of a gun” DeSantis for only caring about “running for president in 2024.”
“It’s grown. I mean, we grow by about 1,000 people every single day,” Crist told the Washington Examiner in IBEW Local 177’s parking lot.
Crist, a rare Democratic candidate who has agreed to appear alongside President Joe Biden next week during a DNC rally and reception, said his debate strategy is based on “telling the truth” amid a resource deficit that has left his team doing “the best you can with what you’ve got.” The situation has been exacerbated by the resignation last week of his campaign manager, Austin Durrer, to contend with a “family matter,” later revealed to be domestic violence charges.
“I can’t wait till Election Day,” Crist added. “Floridians are suffering. They’ve been under a lot of stress. Financially, affordability is ridiculous in our state under Gov. DeSantis. LGBTQ kids are being persecuted under him, a woman’s right to choose is gone because of him, and we deserve so much better.”
FiveThirtyEight predicts DeSantis will defeat Crist with a 10 percentage point margin of victory, 54% to 44%. The election prognosticators calculate that the governor is currently polling an average of 7 points ahead, 50% to 43%. In comparison, RealClearPolitics has DeSantis with an average 10-point lead, 51% to 41%.
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Early voting in Florida begins Monday.
