Topline
Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has won re-election to a second term, beating Democrat Charlie Crist as DeSantis’ national profile grows amid a possible 2024 presidential run.
Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis (left) beat former Gov. Charlie Crist (D) in the 2022 midterm election … [+]
Key Facts
The Associated Press called the race for DeSantis shortly after 8 p.m., with Desantis up 58% to Crist’s 48% with 75% of precincts reporting.
DeSantis was initially elected governor in 2018, when he beat Democrat Andrew Gillum by a narrow margin to replace term-limited Gov. Rick Scott.
Crist, who served as the state’s Republican governor from 2007 to 2011 before switching parties, resigned from Congress in August after twice winning re-election to the St. Petersburg-area seat to focus on his run for governor.
DeSantis is considered a top contender for a 2024 presidential run, setting up a rivalry with his one-time ally, former President Donald Trump.
Tangent
Trump in recent days has teased an announcement for a 2024 presidential run and has taken swipes at DeSantis, escalating a seemingly inevitable feud as both cannot be the 2024 Republican nominee for president. Trump on Monday appeared to threaten DeSantis in a Fox News interview, saying he could reveal “things about him that won’t be very flattering.” However, it appears DeSantis has an uphill battle to beat Trump: A recent Siena/New York Times poll found 26% of respondents would vote for DeSantis in a 2024 matchup, while 49% would vote for Trump.
Big Number
11.4. The number of percentage points DeSantis is leading by in Miami-Dade County with 93% of total votes tallied, marking a significant shift from previous years. The county has not voted for a Republican for governor since Jeb Bush in 2002. In 2018, just 39% of voters in the traditionally blue county voted for DeSantis, and it voted for Hillary Clinton and President Joe Biden in the past two presidential elections.
Further Reading
Trump Agrees With Megyn Kelly: ‘DeSantis Can’t Overcome’ Him In Likely 2024 Run (Forbes)
An initial version of this article incorrectly stated Crist and DeSantis ran against each other in the 2018 governor’s race.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/saradorn/2022/11/08/florida-gov-ron-desantis-wins-re-election/