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DeSantis, a former GOP congressman who resigned to the competition, opened the CNN debate by calling Gillum "a failing mayor" and alleging that he was "involved in corruption" before the democrat can not intervene.
"Well, that was a mouthful," Gillum, the mayor of Tallahassee, unmoved in response.
Few campaigns in 2018 ran parallel to the larger national political struggle – and this, like so many others at the time, gave the impression of a brawl. DeSantis spent more time on the offensive, perhaps feeling compelled to change the trajectory of a campaign that kept him constantly on the backside, while Gillum sought to downplay the accusations of irregularities. while defending his health plan and pretending to be more competent choice to run the state.
The one-hour quick debate began with a lively exchange – initiated by CNA's moderator Jake Tapper of Tampa – on climate change and its outrageous effect on a state that had been slammed just two weeks ago hurricane devastating and is currently at war with a proliferation of harmful algae.
DeSantis denied claims that he refuted the science behind the problem by saying, "I do not want to be alarmist, I want to look at this and do what makes sense for Florida," touted his recent support by the Everglades Trust.
Gillum, who has the support of the Sierra Club, has called the Republican "environmentalist of the election year".
"What Florida voters need to know is that when they elect me governor, they will have a governor who believes in science," he said, "what we We had not had this long ago in this state.
DeSantis was also forced to face fears that he had attempted to use the Gillum breed against him. The most publicized incident occurred within 24 hours after the primary, when DeSantis went to Fox News and warned the Floridians not to "break the barrel when trying to adopt a socialist agenda "and vote for Gillum, which is the first state. African American Governor.
The Republican vigorously denied that his comment was about race, saying, "Floridians can know that I will be a governor for all Floridians."
Gillum replied, "During his campaign, he has been constantly drawing attention to the color of my skin.The truth is that I have been black in all my life, dying black."
Although his angry victory in the primary was motivated by support from President Donald Trump, DeSantis sought to retain some leeway from the president, never answering the question of whether he saw Trump as a " model "quality, but rather to the decision of the administration to move the US Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
Gillum, who also called DeSantis an asset, saw the issue as an opportunity to tie his opponent to the president.
"Donald Trump is weak," Gillum said. "And he plays like all weak people: they become bullies and Mr. DeSantis is his sidekick, he tries to be Trump's apprentice every turn." He tweets at him and he speaks to him. He congratulates him. "
After the faceoff, Trump tweeted to declare to DeSantis "a great victory of the debate tonight against Andrew Gillum".
At the start of a tedious hour, candidates also began a heated exchange following suggestions from DeSantis camp that an ongoing FBI investigation into public corruption in Tallahassee had involved Gillum in wrongdoing.
Gillum repeatedly reiterated that the FBI had told him that he was not at the center of the investigation, which focuses on the relationship between developers and lobbyists in the capital, whose 39, has a longstanding relationship with Gillum. During the investigation, Gillum once unconsciously attended the hit Broadway "Hamilton" musical with a secret agent.
"Did you pay the tickets for Hamilton?" Asked DeSantis.
Gillum insisted that he always paid his way, but he never responded directly to DeSantis. His campaign indicated that the ticket had been given to him by his brother Marcus, who was attending the show with him, the agent and a friend of the lobbyist, Adam Corey, who volunteered to chair the finance at of the 2014 Gillum election campaign.
"We all have friends who have sometimes let us down," Gillum said about Corey, while repressing DeSantis by suggesting that it was also a racial dog whistle: "I work hard," he added. "I know it might not fit your description of what people like me do, in your opinion."
The exchanges between the candidates regarding health care were less stressful, but DeSantis was pushed into a political impasse inhabited by many Republicans in mid-season, while he actually opposed the party's efforts to dismantle Obamacare.
Although these efforts, both in Congress and in the courts, have succeeded in amending the law and ending the rules of coverage for people with pre-existing conditions, DeSantis said, it would enact legislation at the same time. scale of the state to thwart them.
"I will sign a bill to take care of people with pre-existing conditions," he said, before continuing to repeatedly criticize Gillum's support for the "Medicare for all" system. (single payer health care). DeSantis warned that this would end the current programs, many of which are popular – which is true, although advocates of the single payer argue that the replacement would be more comprehensive.
Gillum hesitated a bit, not defending the program that is a non-starter in Florida and in most states of the country, seeking to announce plans to expand Medicaid under Obamacare. DeSantis opposes it, but has not yet published its own health care plan. The "Problems" page of his campaign website does not make any mention of it.
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