DeSantis and Crist debated in Florida’s governor race. Here’s how to follow along.
By Chris Megerian
The race for Florida’s governor was one of the most intriguing in U.S. history. Voters chose between the charismatic, Harvard-educated former business executive and the brash, brash billionaire businessman.
And yet, somehow, they were left wondering: Who won?
The answer turned out to be simple: Florida’s gubernatorial elections are not decided on who can hold a press conference.
So for the latest episode of “The Argument,” a new six-part series for Vox.com, I ask the five candidates vying for their party’s nomination what made their final-week stand in the state’s governor’s race unique.
You can see our complete series on the Nov. 6 election here — and sign up for our daily email of the candidates.
This piece contains material from Vox.com, which is part of the Vox Media Network.
I’ll start with my interview with GOP nominee Ron DeSantis, because he’s the only candidate I talked to who knows who won.
The first thing he told me was that this race was not decided until 10 p.m. on Nov. 6 — when the votes were tallied. He knows that because that’s when he called the winner.
The night started with the Democratic candidate, Andrew Gillum, releasing an ad slamming DeSantis. It went viral.
“Ron DeSantis is the worst governor in the history of the state,” it says.
In the second hour, the same campaign released a new ad that said the same thing.
I did not speak directly with DeSantis, because I wanted to write a piece that dealt primarily with his opponent, Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum. But in the third hour, I spoke to Gillum’s campaign manager, Sarah Smith.
And that’s how we ended up with the same questions I’d had after the final numbers were announced:
Who won?
How did he do?
Should he have done more?
The answers won’
