Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) holds a double-digit lead over Democrat challenger Rep. Charlie Crist (D-FL), a recent UNF Public Opinion Research Lab survey found.
The survey found DeSantis with a comfortable lead over his challenger, ahead by 14 percentage points, or 55 percent to the Democrat’s 41 percent. Just four percent said they were undecided or refused to offer an answer — not enough to alter the course of DeSantis’s lead.
The survey was taken October 17 through October 24, the latter of which stood on the first and only debate between the two, among 622 likely voters. It has a +/- 4.7 percent margin of error:
This poll has increased the lead DeSantis has maintained in RealClearPolitics’ average of polls, moving it from ten percent to 11.2 percent over the last two days.
The two faced off in their first and only debate ahead of Election Day on Monday night, where Crist attempted to distract from the issues by baselessly asserting that DeSantis is only eyeing a presidential bid.
Throughout the debate, DeSantis reminded Floridians that Crist is a Biden ally, aligning with far-left policies that the Democrat would happily impose in the Sunshine State.
“God love him. God love him, and I do,” Crist said following Biden’s angry anti-MAGA speech, where he demonized millions of American patriots across the country. “And he’s told it straight. Democracy is at stake. … Our freedoms are at stake. And the President laid it out, and he couldn’t hold back and I’m so damn proud of him for it.”
Further, the Crist campaign is so in alignment with the Biden administration Crist’s running mate Karla Hernández-Mats reportedly brings a cardboard cutout of President Biden to campaign stops, as Breitbart News detailed.
Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, left, shakes hands with former Gov. Charlie Crist, D-Fla., at the start of their televised gubernatorial debate, at Sunrise Theatre in Fort Pierce, Fla., Monday, Oct. 24, 2022. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Yet, it was apparently beyond Crist to understand why DeSantis continued to mention Biden. That could only mean one thing, in Crist’s mind.
“Ron, you talked about Joe Biden a lot. I understand. You think you’re going to be running against him,” Crist began.
“I can see how you might get confused. But you’re running for governor. You’re running for governor and I have a question for you. You’re running for governor. Why don’t you look in the eyes of the people of the state of Florida and say to them if you’re reelected you will serve a full four-year term as governor? Yes or no? Yes or no?” the Democrat asked repeatedly,
The moderator noted that the candidates did not agree to ask each other questions, and the governor refused to play Crist’s game.
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“Well, listen. I know that Charlie’s interested in talking about 2024 and Joe Biden, but I just want to make things very, very clear,” DeSantis said. “The only worn-out old donkey I’m looking to put out to pasture is Charlie Crist.”
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