Whoever advances through Florida's Democratic gubernatorial primary tomorrow will take on Gov. Ron DeSantis — the seemingly invincible Republican — come fall. To many Democrats, the stakes couldn’t be higher.
They accuse the governor of near-authoritarian rule and routinely point out that he’s more concerned with a potential White House bid in 2024 than helping Florida residents gain access to affordable housing or fix the state’s crumbling insurance market.
Some of Fried’s supporters are perplexed that Crist is viewed as the frontrunner, especially after the Supreme Court in June struck down federal abortion protections enshrined in, an issue that helped propel abortion rights to the forefront of campaigns across the nation. Since the ruling, Fried has attempted to energize voters who are incensed by the landmark decision.
“I’ve gone accurate,” retorted Crist, when asked last week about his attacks on Fried in the closing days. He then added: “She’s decided to do what she’s done. Everyone has their own style.” While Fried focused early on building up her profile on social media, particularly Twitter, Crist went on a charm offensive. He huddled with key blocks of the Democratic coalition and relied on them heavily when drawing up his policy positions. Crist — whose evolution on issues such as abortion and gun control has been scrutinized by Fried — took advice from those Democrats to change his stance on issues such as marijuana legalization, which he now favors.