MIAMI (AP) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is set to learn the identity of his general election opponent Tuesday, as Democrats choose between a man who spent his entire life in politics, much of it as a Republican. , and a woman presenting herself as “something new” as she seeks the energy of her party’s resurgent base.
The Democratic establishment has largely lined up behind charlie christ, a 66-year-old Democratic congressman who served as the state’s Republican governor more than a decade ago. Crist, now running as a moderate Democrat, is up against Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, 44, who hopes to become the state’s first female governor as she leans toward the fight for abortion rights.
The race is ultimately a debate over who is best positioned to defeat DeSantis, who emerged from a narrow victory four years ago to become one of the most prominent Republicans in politics. His relatively light touch on handling the pandemic and his eagerness to lean into divisions over race, gender and LGBTQ rights have resonated with many Republican voters who see DeSantis as a natural heir to former Republicans. president donald trump.
His re-election bid is widely assumed to be a precursor to a presidential bid in 2024, adding to the sense of urgency among Democrats to stem his rise now.
“I have been in the trenches. I’ve stood up to DeSantis,” Fried told The Associated Press. DeSantis “will not have a 2024 because he will not have a 2022. We are going to beat him in November and we are going to kill all his aspirations to run for president of the United States.”
Crist, in an interview, described DeSantis as a threat to democracy.
“He is the opposite of freedom. He is an autocrat. He is a demagogue. And I think people are sick of him,” Crist said of the sitting Republican governor, noting that earlier this year DeSantis admonished a group of high school students for wearing face masks at an indoor news conference. . “Who is this guy? Who does he think he is? He’s not the boss.”
The Florida contest wraps up the busiest stretch of this year’s primary. Republicans from Pennsylvania to Arizona have supported contenders who have embraced Trump’s lies that the 2020 election was stolen, a claim election officials flatly rejected. former attorney general to the president and judges he appointed.
And for the most part, Democrats have avoided brutal primary fights. That could be tested, however, on Tuesday, when New York voters turn out for a congressional primary that features two powerful Democratic caucus chairs, Carolyn Maloney and Jerry Nadler, vying for the same seat and other incumbents defend against challenges from the left.
Democrats are entering the final weeks before the midterms with a sense of cautious optimism, hoping Supreme Court decision annulling women’s constitutional right to abortion will energize the base of the party. But Democrats still face tremendous headwinds, including economic uncertainty and the historical reality that most parties lose seats in the first half of the term after winning the White House.
The dynamic is especially challenging for Democrats in Florida, one of the most politically divided states in the US. Its last three gubernatorial races have been decided by 1 percentage point or less. But the state has become increasingly Republican-friendly in recent years.
For the first time in modern history, Florida has more registered Republicans (nearly 5.2 million) than Democrats, who have nearly 5 million registered voters. Fried is serving as the only Democrat holding a statewide office. And Republicans have no primary competition for four of those five seats — Governor, US Senate, Attorney General and CFO — which are held by Republican incumbents.
Democrats expect the US Rep. Val Demingsfacing a little-known candidate in the Senate primary on Tuesday, may unseat the state’s top US senator, Republican blond frame, this autumn. But for now, the party’s national leadership is prioritizing competitive Senate races in other states, including neighboring Georgia, Arizona and Pennsylvania.
In the Florida gubernatorial race, the Supreme Court’s abortion decision animated the final weeks of the Democratic primary.
Fried has touted herself as the only true abortion-rights supporter in the race, taking advantage of Crist’s appointment of two conservative Supreme Court justices while he was governor.
The conservative-leaning court will soon decide whether the Republican-backed law in the state legislature to ban abortions after 15 weeks is constitutional. Florida’s new abortion law is in effect, with exceptions if the procedure is necessary to save the pregnant woman’s life, to prevent serious injury, or if the fetus has a life-threatening abnormality. It does not allow exemptions in cases of rape, incest or human trafficking.
Crist insisted he is “pro-choice” and highlighted a bill he vetoed as governor in 2010 that would have required women seeking first-trimester abortions to obtain and pay for an ultrasound exam.
“It’s a woman’s right to choose,” Crist told the AP. “My history is very clear. And for my opponent to attempt to cloud that is unconscionable, unfair and reckless.”
In experience and personality, voters have a stark contrast between Crist, a longtime politician backed by the establishment who is seen as a relatively safe choice, and Fried, a newer face who may be in a better position to command attention. of the party’s most passionate voters.
Crist has raised $14 million so far this election cycle, almost twice as much money as Fried. Having served in elected office since 1992, his supporters describe him as dependable and personable with an excellent memory.
“He is the best retail politician in Florida this century. He is simply a prominent politician. Ask for my grandchildren by his name,” said Mac Stipanovich, a political strategist who served as chief of staff for former Republican Gov. Bob Martinez.
Meanwhile, Fried has gained twice as many followers on all social media and is quickly jumping on the trendsetter online. She built her profile as one of DeSantis’ fiercest opponents, regularly challenging him on policies related to the COVID-19 pandemic. She also created a position within her department to ensure LGBTQ members have opportunities as DeSantis wages what the Human Rights Campaign recently described as “an assault on transgender Floridians.”
DeSantis signed into law what opponents called the “Don’t Say Gay” bill that bans lessons on sexual orientation and gender identity from kindergarten through third grade and restricts it in higher grades. He also defended the “stop WOKE law” that restricts conversation and analysis based on race in business and education, even though a Florida judge last week declared the law an unconstitutional violation of free speech.
These problems have been good for DeSantis’ standing with Republican voters.
The Florida governor touted his record at a weekend rally with more than 1,000 Pennsylvania voters, having recently campaigned for Republican allies in Arizona, New Mexico and Ohio.
DeSantis was officially in Pennsylvania to help Republican gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano. But DeSantis barely mentioned Mastriano’s name in comments to his Pittsburgh audience, instead focusing on the political battles he waged in Florida to confront liberal “awakening ideology.”
He did not mention that he is up for re-election for governor this year.
“If you lead and lead with strength and courage, and get results, people will be with you,” DeSantis said.
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Peoples reported from Washington, Farrington from Tallahassee. Associated Press writer Marc Levy in Pittsburgh contributed to this report.
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