DeSantis Soundly Beats Crist to Win 2nd Term as Florida Governor
Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis won re-election to a second term on Tuesday in a victory over Democrat Charlie Crist, bolstering his rise as a prominent GOP star with potential White House ambitions.
DeSantis’ win continues a rightward shift for what was once the nation’s largest swing state.
He gained significant national attention during the coronavirus pandemic through his outspoken opposition to lockdowns and to mask and vaccine mandates, endearing him to Republicans and building him into a natural heir to former President Donald Trump in the minds of some voters.
The victory is certain to fuel speculation of a potential DeSantis presidential run. DeSantis has so far dodged questions on his possible Washington aspirations, skirting the subject repeatedly during his only debate with Crist in late October.
The governor was able to raise substantially more money than Crist, a 66-year-old Democrat who had previously served as a Republican governor of Florida from 2007 to 2011. Crist aimed his candidacy at moderate voters in Florida as he sought to reverse a losing streak for Democrats in the state. Crist resigned a congressional seat to run for governor this year.
Florida was once a perennial political battleground but has drifted rightward. Trump won the state twice and last year, in a significant milestone, the GOP notched more registered voters in Florida than Democrats for the first time in modern history, and then continued to widen the gap into November.
The Western Journal has reviewed this Associated Press story and may have altered it prior to publication to ensure that it meets our editorial standards.
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