Democrat Opponents Fail to Come Close to Ron DeSantis's $143 Million War Chest

Rep. Charlie Crist (D-FL) and Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Nikki Fried (D), both of whom are vying to take on Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) in the Sunshine State’s gubernatorial race, fall significantly behind in terms of campaign dollars, as their figures pale in comparison to the incumbent governor’s $143 million war chest.

Crist, the frontrunner in the Democrat primary race for governor, raised $1 million in April for his gubernatorial bid, giving him a total of $9.2 million thus far. That puts him well over $1 million ahead of his challenger Fried, as she has reportedly raised a total of $7.6 million, of which $5.7 million came from her independent political committee and the remainder from her official campaign.

However, both figures pale in comparison to DeSantis’s multimillion-dollar war chest, which tops $143 million. A stunning $135.8 million came from Friends of Ron DeSantis, his independent political committee, and the remainder stems from his official reelection campaign:

However, Crist expressed gratitude for his donors, contending that Floridians “cannot afford another four years under this reckless governor.”

Crist has repeatedly criticized DeSantis’s governing approach, despite the immense popularity of the governor’s actions among Americans — not the establishment or media. While the latter sharply criticized the governor throughout the pandemic, DeSantis continued to prioritize freedom and liberty, fighting for Floridians to maintain their fundamental rights, particularly in terms of deciding whether or not they wanted a vaccine. He refused to implement extended lockdowns, drawing ire from blue state leaders. But still, Americans flocked to the Sunshine State — even critics — as the state saw the highest level of domestic visitation in state history in 2021.

More recently, DeSantis has taken a stand with parents, signing the Parental Rights in Education bill, which bars classroom discussions on sexual orientation and gender identity for children in kindergarten through third grade. And on Monday, the governor signed legislation designating November 7 as Victims of Communism Day to “honor the more than 100 million people who have fallen victim to communist regimes across the world.”

Earlier this month, DeSantis predicted a dire state of affairs for Democrats in the upcoming midterm elections, telling reporters it will serve as a “shot across the bow” to the “floundering president” and “establishment.”

“The first opportunity for correction will be this November,” he said, as Americans continue to face record high gas prices and rampant inflation.

The current RealClearPolitics average shows DeSantis besting Crist by an average of 8.8 percentage points. That includes a survey from the University of North Florida, which has DeSantis leading by 21 points.