DeSantis Wins Re-Election Over Charlie Crist

TALLAHASSEE (FLV) – Gov. Ron DeSantis was re-elected as governor after beating former Democrat U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist Tuesday night.

DeSantis rose in popularity when he went against the grain to keep businesses open during the pandemic, leading people from across the country to flock to the sunshine state. His mantra throughout the election season has centered around “Keeping Florida Free.” DeSantis distinguished himself by promoting the difference between his anti-lockdown approach policies and Crist’s support of lockdown and COVID-19 mandate policies. 

A focal point of Crist’s campaign was supporting abortion rights. Throughout much of the debate between the two, Crist spoke about reproductive rights as a main difference. He had pledged to sign an executive order on day one to protect a women’s right to choose. 

The candidate’s campaigns also significantly differed with regards to education. DeSantis championed Parental Rights in Education Act, which prohibited K-3 teachers from instructing about gender ideology and sexual orientation. Crist used that legislation, which Democrats dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay” law, to actively campaign against DeSantis.

Throughout the campaign season, DeSantis significantly outpaced Crist in fundraising.

DeSantis won his first term as governor in 2018 by just more than 30,000 votes against Andrew Gillum. Four years after the governor took office, Republicans gained momentum and overtook Democrats by around 300,000 registered voters. In 2018, Democrats had 257,000 more registered voters than Republicans. DeSantis was sworn into office in 2019.