美国国家公共电台 NPR Florida's Governor Race Could Be A Test For Trump

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STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

This fall's governor's races include one in the largest swing state, Florida. The Democratic mayor of Tallahassee, Andrew Gillum, is facing former Republican Congressman¹ Ron DeSantis. NPR's Greg Allen reports on a campaign waged after a late-season hurricane and in the middle of the political hurricane that is the Trump² era.

GREG ALLEN, BYLINE³: It was a noontime rally on a weekday. More than 300 people packed into a college auditorium⁴ in St. Petersburg, there to see Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum. It was one of Gillum's first campaign events after a hiatus while his city recovered from Hurricane Michael.

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ANDREW GILLUM: One week to the day of the storm, 99 1/2 percent of the people in my city had their power back.

ALLEN: The recent hurricane and Tallahassee's response to it has helped put to rest attacks Republicans mounted about his leadership during Hurricane Hermine two years ago. In his campaign speeches, Gillum outlines a series of mainstream⁵ Democratic and progressive proposals. He wants to expand Medicaid under the Affordable⁶ Care Act. He wants to increase the starting salary for teachers to $50,000. And he wants to almost double the minimum wage in Florida to $15 an hour.

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GILLUM: Everybody I know wants to earn enough where they can take care of themselves and their families and maybe take a vacation one weekend out of a year. And that shouldn't be too much to ask in the state of Florida.

ALLEN: If Gillum wins, he'd be Florida's first black governor. Ann Pellishek says she likes Gillum's progressive ideas, his humility⁷ and his charisma⁸. His race, she says, shouldn't be a factor.

ANN PELLISHEK: I lived in Virginia for 30 years. And I will tell you that Virginia is a very conservative state. And we had a black governor, for heaven's sake. So it's not a big deal.

ALLEN: Race has been part of the campaign, however. Talking about the state economy in August, Republican Congressman Ron DeSantis said voters shouldn't monkey this up by electing Gillum - a comment many called out as racist⁹. He's also had to defend his participation¹⁰ in racially charged conferences and his connection with a donor¹¹ who made racist comments about President Obama. DeSantis made a campaign appearance this past weekend at a favorite stop for Republican candidates - a large central Florida retirement¹² community, The Villages.

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RON DESANTIS: It's great to be in America's friendliest hometown.

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ALLEN: The Villages is Trump country. When asked, about a third of those in the audience said they were part of Villagers for Trump. Sherry Ray drove over from nearby Ocala.

SHERRY RAY: I have tremendous respect for what Donald Trump has done. And I respect that he chose Mr. DeSantis to run, and that's why I'm here. I want to meet him and hear more of what he has to say.

ALLEN: While President Trump didn't actually choose DeSantis to run, his support has made all the difference. The president's endorsement¹³ and his appearance at a rally with DeSantis in Tampa helped boost the former congressman to an easy win in the primary. Since then, DeSantis has concentrated much of his campaign on attacking Gillum. In his speeches, DeSantis calls Gillum a socialist¹⁴, an unfounded label Gillum rejects. Another line of attack by DeSantis has more substance.

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DESANTIS: And I'm the only one of the two of us who can credibly¹⁵ say he's not under FBI investigation¹⁶ for corruption¹⁸, so...

ALLEN: The FBI's investigating city contracts with developers in Tallahassee, including one with whom Gillum went on a vacation to Costa Rica. Gillum denies any wrongdoing and says the FBI told him he's not the focus of the investigation. In his attacks, DeSantis is getting help from President Trump. Over the weekend, the president tweeted that Gillum, quote, "runs one of the worst and most corrupt¹⁷ cities in the U.S." DeSantis picked up the theme against Gillum in a debate Sunday, calling Tallahassee the most violent city in Florida.

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DESANTIS: Andrew couldn't keep Tallahassee safe. He's not the guy to keep Florida families safe.

GILLUM: All right. Well, Ron is being Don - and that's Donald Trump - neglecting all sense of reason and facts. I preside over a city that is experiencing a five-year low in our crime rate on trajectory¹⁹ to be at a 20-year low.

ALLEN: Polls show it's a tight race. Early voting in Florida started Monday.

Greg Allen, NPR News, Miami.

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