JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis easily secured a second term Tuesday, trouncing Democrat Charlie Crist in a race that centered on the state’s resistance to COVID-19 lockdowns and mandates and the rejection of left-wing “woke” ideology in schools.
Mr. DeSantis’s win was massive, leading Mr. Crist by nearly 20 percentage points with 85% of the vote counted.
“Thanks to Florida voters, we have not only won an election, we have rewritten the political map,” Mr. DeSantis told supporters.
Mr. Crist, who recently represented the state’s 13th District in Congress and was governor from 2007 to 2011, never posed much of a threat to Mr. DeSantis, in part because of the governor’s popularity but also because the state has become redder in recent years.
Republicans now outnumber Democrats by approximately 300,000 voters.
The race attracted national interest because Mr. DeSantis is considered a top presidential contender in 2024, although he has not indicated he plans to run.
SEE ALSO: Trump says DeSantis ‘could hurt himself very badly’ if he runs for president in 2024
His landslide win is likely to spur more talk about his political future. During his victory speech, the crowd began chanting “two more years,” implying support for a presidential run. Mr. DeSantis acknowledged the chant with a smile but said nothing.
He told supporters, “I have only begun to fight.”
Mr. DeSantis has raised near-record sums for a governor’s race and has attracted support from dozens of the nation’s wealthiest donors as well as a political group actively pushing the Navy veteran and Harvard Law graduate to get into the presidential race.
His potential candidacy has attracted the attention of former President Donald Trump, who is expected to announce a third presidential bid on Nov. 15 from Mar-a-Lago, his Palm Beach estate.
Mr. Trump, 76, brags about poll numbers that show his support far exceeding Mr. DeSantis, 44, in a GOP primary matchup.
The former reality-TV star, known for crafting death-blow nicknames for opponents, called him “Ron De-Sanctimonius” at a recent rally in Pennsylvania, fueling more speculation about a 2024 rivalry.
Mr. Trump, whose 2018 endorsement helped Mr. DeSantis win his first term, voted for him in the governor’s race on Tuesday.
Mr. DeSantis, who is a former member of Congress, ran a campaign that touted his pandemic policies, which defied the Biden administration and blue-state policies by keeping businesses and schools open and banning mask and vaccine mandates.
“We chose facts over fear. We chose education over indoctrination,” Mr. DeSantis said in his victory speech. “Florida was a refuge of sanity. When the world went mad, we stood as the citadel of freedom for people across this country and, indeed, across this world. And after four years, the people have delivered their verdict. Freedom is here to stay.”
Mr. Crist, 66, was dogged throughout the campaign by attack ads that showed him voicing support for raising taxes and imposing vaccine mandates.
He struggled to land attacks on Mr. DeSantis.
In the only debate between the two candidates, Mr. Crist tried to force Mr. DeSantis to promise voters he will not quit the job of governor to run against President Biden in 2024.
“The only worn-out old donkey I’m looking to put out to pasture right now is Charlie Crist,” Mr. DeSantis responded.
• Susan Ferrechio can be reached at sferrechio@washingtontimes.com.
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