In final days, DeSantis and Crist campaign across Florida ahead of Election Day
Election Day is Nov. 8, and gubernatorial candidates Charlie Crist and incumbent Governor Ron DeSantis are spreading their messages as Floridians enter the last week of early voting.
DeSantis held a rally at Ave Maria University in Collier County, addressing the crowd and touting his accomplishments – like the signing of the "Parental Rights to Education" bill.
"As parents of young kids, you should be able to send your kids to school, you should be able to have them watch cartoons, just be kids, without having some agenda shoved down their throat, we want to make sure that in Florida, parents know you send your kid to elementary school, they are not going to be taught they were born in the wrong body," the governor said.
He also talked to the crowd about his handling of the pandemic, vaccine mandates, and what it all meant for school children. DeSantis also discussed his handling of Hurricane Ian and how his administration improved election security.
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"We created and established on July 1st, an office of election security and integrity in state government, and now you have investigators whose job is to make sure our election laws are enforced," said Governor DeSantis.
His opponent, Charlie Crist, mobilized supporters in Tampa Sunday afternoon.
"I think we’re going to have a great turnout in this election. I am not concerned about it. I am excited about it and I know there is a segment of our society that’s going to vote like it’s no tomorrow, and those are women," said Crist.
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He went on to talk about an issue at the forefront of the Democratic Party.
"I am the candidate who supports a women’s right to choose. Ron DeSantis is the candidate who has already signed a bill that restricts it, and it goes even further and doesn’t allow any exceptions for rape and incest which I think is absolutely barbaric."
He also talked about inflation and how he’s vying to lower taxes if he’s the next governor.
Nearly two million ballots have been cast so far in this election. Between vote-by-mail and early voting, about 86,000 more Republicans than Democrats have voted so far.
If you haven’t cast your ballot, yet you can vote early in a majority of the Bay Area counties until Nov. 6.