A group of Florida gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist's former staff and colleagues reportedly endorsed Governor Ron DeSantis's reelection bid on Tuesday following Monday's contentious debate between the two candidates.
Their support for DeSantis, a Republican, comes just two weeks before voters will pick between the two candidates in the Sunshine State's hotly contested gubernatorial race.
DeSantis has risen to prominence in the GOP, receiving support from Republicans who rallied behind his brand of at-times brash conservative politics. However, his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and support for controversial policies such as the "Don't Say Gay" bill has drawn a deep rebuke from Democrats, who hope to unseat him in the state that narrowly backed former President Donald Trump in 2020.
On Tuesday, DeSantis received backing from 37 of Crist's ex-staff and colleagues. Crist, a Democrat, served as a U.S. congressman representing the St. Petersburg area. He was previously the Sunshine State's governor as a Republican and independent.
In a letter first reported by Florida's Voice, the group said they "have known Charlie in virtually all phases of his career and public life" and are "well-qualified to endorse in the Florida Governor's race because we have significant experience in public service."
Notably, the letter's most prominent signers are all Republicans who have supported other members of their party in recent years.
"Governor DeSantis has delivered for Florida He has led our state with courage and conviction," the letter read. "He has demonstrated his ability to lead us through difficult times. We stand with Governor DeSantis because the stakes are too high."
The letter was signed by former Florida Senator and Crist Chief of Staff George LeMieux, former Lieutenant Governor Jeff Kottkamp, former Attorney General Bill McCollum, and former State Senate President Ken Pruitt.
Crist, a former Republican, has emphasized his bipartisan credentials throughout his campaign, as Florida is generally seen as a competitive swing state. Still, no Democrat has won gubernatorial office in Florida since the 1990s.
The group's latest endorsement follows Monday night's debate, in which the two candidates sparred on issues including the pandemic, abortion and DeSantis' alleged 2024 presidential ambitions.
During one viral moment, Crist pressed DeSantis to "look in the eyes of the people of the state of Florida" and promise to serve a full four-year term if he wins reelection.
"I know that Charlie's interested in talking about 2024, in Joe Biden," DeSantis responded. "But I just want to make things very, very clear. The only worn-out old donkey I'm looking to put out to pasture is Charlie Crist."
Polls show DeSantis as having a lead over Crist. A Florida Atlantic University poll conducted among 719 likely voters from October 12 to 16 found DeSantis with an 11-point lead against Crist. The survey, which had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.65 percentage points, found DeSantis winning 51 percent of respondents' support, while 40 percent said they planned to vote for Crist.
DeSantis leads Crist by an average of eight percentage points, according to FiveThirtyEight's polling aggregate.
Newsweek reached out to Crist's campaign for comment.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Andrew Stanton is a Newsweek weekend reporter based in Maine. His role is reporting on U.S. politics and social issues. ... Read more
