In the wake of Tuesday’s Primaries, Gov. Ron DeSantis is mocking Democrats for nominating “socialist” Angie Nixon to run for Senate.
“At first I had to say, I didn’t know that there was still a Democratic Party here,” DeSantis said during remarks in Orlando.
“And I’m looking and I’m like, ‘Okay. Why would you want to run somebody that is a self-described socialist in the state of Florida? You want to go down to Hialeah and try to sell that to people down there?’ I don’t think that dog’s going to hunt. I don’t think it’s going to work at all.”
The history between Nixon and DeSantis is well documented. Among other things, Nixon was arrested for a sit-in protest in DeSantis’ office earlier this year, weeks after she disrupted the House vote for congressional redistricting with a bullhorn on the floor.
It’s unclear whether DeSantis would have been more impressed by Lt. Col. Alex Vindman, who was defeated by Nixon on Tuesday.
DeSantis also stopped far short of committing to help Republican gubernatorial nominee Byron Donalds on the campaign trail against Democrat David Jolly, a former Republican and onetime opponent of DeSantis’ in the race for Marco Rubio’s Senate seat in 2016, which ended unceremoniously when Rubio decided to run for re-election shortly before qualifying ended.
In response to a question from POLITICO Florida’s Gary Fineout, DeSantis said he expected to be “doing state policy all the way till we turn the lights out.”
DeSantis did not commit to hitting the trail with Donalds, whom DeSantis has expressed concerns about as someone who wasn’t involved in the administration’s “victories over the left” during 2024’s efforts to defeat marijuana and abortion amendments.
“I don’t think this is a competitive state for statewide,” he said, contrasting it to previous closely competed cycles, including his run for Governor in 2018.
“If you had a choice to be running in ’26 or 10 years ago, as a Republican, you would rather do it now because you just have more wind at your back and you have so many more potential votes to be able to turn. You’ve got to turn them out. You’ve got to inspire them, you’ve got to do all that. But man, what a difference.”
Donalds has said he expects DeSantis to be an asset during the Fall campaign in some capacity. Perhaps that still will happen, but no firm commitments were made Wednesday.
DeSantis also demurred when asked whether Donalds should retain Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo.
“Each Governor has to make those judgments about what they want. One, you know, you’d have to ask Joe whether he wants to remain Surgeon General after January, and I haven’t asked him that question,” DeSantis said.
DeSantis said if Donalds were “interested” in retaining Ladapo, the nominee “should reach out to Joe, have the conversation.”
We’ve reached out to the Donalds campaign to see if the nominee would hold the Surgeon General over should he win in November, and will update when and if they respond.
The post Ron DeSantis mocks ‘socialist’ Angie Nixon, defers judgment on what Byron Donalds might do as Governor appeared first on Florida Politics – Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government..