South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Sunday)
GOP rallies for DeSantis
Energized by Supreme Court vote, candidate for governor begins to cut into Gillum’s lead
Ron DeSantis told supporters Saturday in West Palm Beach that Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation to the Supreme Court will boost his bid for governor by energizing Republicans to vote in the midterm elections.
He praised GOP senators for standing up to a “vicious smear campaign” led by Democratic Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Richard Blumenthal.
“These people really debase the Senate,” DeSantis said during his 30-minute speech moments after Republican gubernatorial candidate Ron DeSantis addresses supporters Saturday at the Palm Beach County Convention Center.
Kavanaugh’s confirmation. “What they did was a disgrace. … Media go fly a kite. Democrats go fly a kite. Guess what? Voters now know they need to come out in the midterms to prevent people like
Feinstein from getting into power.”
Kavanaugh overcame accusations that he had sexually assaulted a woman when he was in high school.
A recent poll showed DeSantis cutting into the lead held by his opponent, Democratic Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum.
DeSantis, 40, launched an allout assault on Gillum during the rally at the Palm Beach County Convention Center, portraying him as a far-left, tax-raising liberal who leads a crime-ridden city at the center of an FBI corruption probe.
“In this race … I am the only candidate who agrees with free enterprise at all,” said DeSantis, who gave up his seat in Congress to focus on his bid for governor. “I am the only candidate who can credibly say he ain’t under FBI investigation.”
Several people in the crowd responded with chants of “lock him up.”
Gillum, who has served as Talla-
hassee mayor since 2014, says he has been assured he is not a target of the investigation, which is focusing on taxpayer-funded redevelopment projects in Tallahassee. Gillum wasn’t named in subpoenas.
Gillum, 39, has faced scrutiny for trips he took in 2016. Gillum traveled to New York City with a lobbyist friend and two undercover FBI agents. Gillum has said he followed all ethics guidelines, and he has severed ties with the lobbyist, who was a college friend.
DeSantis told supporters he would appoint judges to the state Supreme Court who would end “judicial activism.” He vowed to not raise taxes. He touted his support of Israel and promised to end “sanctuary cities” that offer protections to undocumented residents.
DeSantis said he has a strong environmental plan to address algae blooms plaguing Florida’s coasts by increasing water storage south of Lake Okeechobee, but he assured supporters he is not a “left-wing tree hugger.”
The campaign distributed signs with DeSantis’ name and the words “Protect Our Environment.”
The crowd — many wearing “Make America Great Again” hats — watched Kavanaugh’s confirmation vote on their phones and tablets. As they waited for DeSantis to arrive, they broke into chants of “Kavanaugh” and “Keep Florida Red.”
Not everyone in the crowd had decided. Pedro Ortega, 58, of West Palm Beach, said he wanted to hear DeSantis’ plan for cleaning up the algae blooms that are fouling Florida’s waters.
“The pollution is a problem right now,” he said.
With less than a month left before the Nov. 6 election, both candidates are making South Florida a focus.
Gillum’s schedule for the weekend included addressing the Palm Beach County Democrats’ annual gala dinner and campaigning with former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg in Pembroke Pines.