Hi Peter, my name is Charlie Crist, and I just became the Democratic nominee for governor of Florida.
My opponent? Gov. Ron DeSantis, one of the most dangerous Republicans nationwide.
Ron DeSantis has been using Florida as a testing ground for some of the most cruel and divisive culture war tactics of the last two years. He has been setting himself up as a likely presidential contender, and it’s been working.
DeSantis signed one of the first vile “Don’t Say Gay” bills. He attacked Disney and the Special Olympics when they opposed his policies. He’s even created an “elections police” unit that people fear will be more about voter intimidation than voter protection.
By using the governorship as a stepping stone to run for president in 2024, DeSantis has shown he doesn’t have Florida’s best interests at heart.
But I’ve always put Floridians first. From my time as a state senator to serving as Florida’s 44th governor, I’ve lived my life by the Golden Rule, working to build unity rather than fueling division.
Fortunately, Floridians are waking up to Ron DeSantis’s horrible agenda. Multiple polls have shown me either neck and neck with him or outright beating him, so I know this fight is winnable. DeSantis only won by 0.4% in 2018. A recent Axios article said “Florida swing voters view Ron DeSantis as too extreme.”
Beating DeSantis won’t be easy, but nothing worth doing ever is.