Can the underdog swing a win? Charlie Crist takes on Ron DeSantis
By Kendall Clark
He may be down in the polls, but Charlie Crist is not backing down or giving up hope just yet. The 66-year-old former Republican is the Democratic candidate for governor in this year’s election, challenging incumbent Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Crist is an attorney and politician who is currently finishing his term as a U.S. representative serving Florida’s 13th congressional district. Interestingly enough, he has already been a Florida governor, serving one term from 2007–2011. He also held other government positions in the 1990s and early 2000s.
Crist served as a Republican governor but found himself aligning more with independents and Democrats during his term. He officially made the switch to the Democratic Party in 2012.
Though the odds appear to be against him, Crist is a firm believer that his efforts to unite people can swing him a win against DeSantis, who is also reported to be considering a presidential run in 2024.
“You need to lead by uniting people, not dividing them,” Crist said at the gubernatorial debate on Oct. 24. Crist was implying that his opponent does the opposite and divides the citizens of Florida. He believes Florida deserves better than that.
However, despite some of DeSantis’ controversy, he has a strong lead against Crist especially from an economic standpoint, he has raised an overwhelming $106 million compared to Crist’s $5 million.
“If I had lots of money to invest in these campaigns, I wouldn’t bet on Crist,” said Dan Sweeney, Deputy Opinions Editor of the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
If the race were just about money then the winner is clear but it is not, and Crist plans on letting his character and policies do the talking.
“On my first day as governor, I will sign an Executive Order to protect reproductive freedom in Florida,” Crist tweeted back in June 2022.
Crist has promised on many occasions that he will keep safe abortions legal in the state. When talking about it at the gubernatorial debate he got teary eyed over the subject, adding that he is “somebody who believes in a woman’s right to choose.”
This is the complete opposite of DeSantis, who is proud of his 15-week abortion ban and potentially wants even stricter bans.
Particularly in the wake of the Supreme Court’s overturn of Roe v. Wade this summer, many young voters say reproductive freedoms are a major motivation to vote.
“I am certainly not a Democrat but I am pro-choice because last year my girlfriend of three months at the time needed her right to choose [to get an abortion],” said Tyler Segal, 23, a political science major at Florida Atlantic University. “I will be voting for Charlie Crist on Election Day.”
This topic is the forefront of Crist’s campaign.
On Oct. 23, Florida Department of State Division of Elections posted the 2022 General Election Active Registered Voters spreadsheet. There are a little more than 14.5 million registered voters in Florida, almost 5 million are Democrats and a bit under 5.3 million are Republicans. Republicans beating Democrats by a couple hundred thousand does not necessarily mean they will automatically win but they do have the upper hand in the state.
The question is, are all Republicans voting for Gov. DeSantis?
The answer is no, and those are the votes that could push Crist ahead on Election Day — or at least not losing by as wide of a margin as some polls predict.
Across the state there are groups who, though they share a political affiliation with the governor, they do not support him running again. Just two of the groups are: Florida Republicans against Ron DeSantis remaining governor and Manasota Republicans & Independents Voting Blue.
“Never, has there been a more moronic, homophobic, misogynistic governor for the state of Florida,” said Jorge Corrales, Pompano Beach resident and a member of the Florida Republicans against Ron DeSantis remaining governor group. “He has made a travesty of our great state. It is time for him to move on.”
When one’s own party turns against them, it says alot.
“He has no respect for other people and does not have the intelligence level or maturity to be governor of Florida,” said Anne Marie Keane, 70, leader of Manasota Republicans & Independents Voting Blue.
Crist refers back to his experience in Florida’s top office frequently when speaking publicly. During his term, he led Florida through the 2008 recession. He wants voters to know that he did right by them once and he’ll do it again.
Another promise Crist makes is to “make Florida more affordable again.” He will do so by implementing his Affordable Florida Plan, with its key points focusing on housing, homeowner insurance, electricity rates, accessible internet and car insurance.
“The highest priority for Florida Democrats in 2022 must be to end the political career of Ron DeSantis, and Charlie Crist can do it,” said the Sun Sentinel Editorial Board in their election endorsement for Democrats back in August.
Crist’s closing statement from the gubernatorial debate sum up his reasons for running to lead the Sunshine state. “I love Florida. I love her with all my heart,” he said. “I want to unite her. I want to bring this state back together and not have a divider as governor.”
So, can the underdog swing a win? Most opinion polls, including one by Florida Atlantic University released three weeks before Election Day, show DeSantis with a comfortable double-digit lead over Crist. Voters will have a more definitive answer by the end of the day on Nov. 8.
