The general election race for the Florida governor’s mansion is already off to a nasty start Wednesday Republican Congressman Ron DeSantis took to FOX news to blast Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum’s policies.
DeSantis' use of a word has Democrats seeing vestiges of racism and led the candidates campaign to try and clarify his remarks.
Speaking on FOX News Wednesday in a discussion about he and his competor Andrew Gillum, DeSantis said, "the last thing we need to do is monkey this up by trying to embrace a socialist agenda with huge tax increases and bankrupting the state.”
Democrats pounced on the use of "monkey" calling DeSantis’ comments racist. Gillum could become the state's first black governor should he win. Shortly after, a Fox News anchor said the network doesn’t condone the remark and read a statement from the DeSantis campaign trying to clarify the Congressman was referring to Florida not embracing socialist policies.
The outcome of the Republican and Democratic gubernatorial primaries which saw Gillum and DeSantis emerge as winners marks a big shift to the left and right by both parties. Both managed to defeat party favorites Republican Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam and former Democratic Congresswoman Gwen Graham. DeSantis is being backed by President Donald Trump while Gillum has been endorsed by Senator Bernie Sanders.
