Ron DeSantis wins reelection in Florida governor race over Democrat Charlie Crist
Republican incumbent Gov. Ron DeSantis won the race for Florida governor, defeating Democrat Charlie Crist.
DeSantis held onto a double-digit lead in the polls for much of the race.
The contest has been closely watched nonetheless, as DeSantis has built a national profile in what some see as preparation for a bid to secure the GOP nomination for president in 2024.
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Crist, a former Republican himself, served as Florida’s governor from 2007 to 2011, re-registering as a Democrat after leaving office.
Crist served from 2017 until earlier this year as a congressman representing the St. Petersburg area, while DeSantis has been the state’s governor since 2019. Florida, once viewed as a key battleground state, has become more reliably red in recent years, with former President Donald Trump winning the state in both the 2016 and 2020 elections.
Over the last few years, Florida has been not just a site of struggle between Republicans and Democrats but also within the GOP itself.
As speculation grows over just how much of a grip Trump continues to have on the Republican party, DeSantis has positioned himself as a viable alternative -- similar in ideology but different in style.
DeSantis made national headlines during the early days of the pandemic when he refused to shut down parts of Florida to slow the spread of COVID-19. His pandemic policies made him a favorite among many Republicans who felt closures were too extreme and unduly damaging to the economy.
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Since then, he’s taken hardline stances on LQBTQ+ rights and school curricula. In a highly publicized move, DeSantis championed and signed legislation, dubbed the "Don't Say Gay bill by opponents, which bars classroom instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity from kindergarten through third grade.
Positioning himself as a conduit for conservative beliefs in the ongoing culture wars has helped DeSantis maintain his national profile as he distances himself from the former president. Unlike many GOP candidates this midterm cycle, he is not endorsed by Trump, who many expect will be his potential opponent in the 2024 GOP primary.
Crist used DeSantis’ apparent presidential dreams to paint him as an opportunist more interested in appealing to the national Republican base than the voters of Florida. In the only televised debate of the campaign DeSantis evaded demands from Crist to promise he would serve a full term as governor.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ron DeSantis defeats Charlie Crist in Florida governor's race
