Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’s (R) campaign on Wednesday debuted the first television and digital ad of the campaign cycle as the midterm elections draw closer.
The ad, titled “Dear Governor,” features stories from Floridians across the state, explaining why they support DeSantis.
“Dear Governor DeSantis,” the ad begins. It includes a series of voices of individuals thanking DeSantis for keeping the state open and allowing children to go to school and thrive despite the Chinese coronavirus pandemic. Another mentioned the governor’s efforts in promoting monoclonal antibody treatment for the virus, and another praised him for beating back “the woke liberal media.”
“.@RonDeSantisFL has received thousands of letters from across the state and around the world thanking him for his leadership,” Florida’s first lady Casey DeSantis said on Wednesday, sharing the campaign’s ad on social media.
“And I can tell you this, he’s only begun to fight,” she added.
This marks the campaign’s first TV ad of the campaign season as Florida’s primaries, which will take place August 23, approach. After that, Floridians will know which Democrat will face off against DeSantis in the general election, but most surveys show Rep. Charlie Crist (D-FL) as the leader of the Democrat primary, ahead of Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Nikki Fried — both of whom have sharply criticized DeSantis’s leadership.
Both candidates took issue with the Parental Rights in Education law, which bars classroom discussions on sexual orientation and gender identity for children in kindergarten through third grade, and Crist told supporters earlier this year that he would be open to forced masking in the Sunshine State if “scientists” advised it — a move DeSantis never made.
Wednesday’s RealClearPolitics average shows DeSantis leading Crist in a potential matchup by an average of 8.8 percent.