(C) Daily Kos This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . DeSantis and Florida GOP keep stumbling and fumbling as elections near [1] ['Daily Kos Staff'] Date: 2024-09-10 The Republican Party of Florida is facing several headwinds just two months before the 2024 election, which stands in stark contrast to the position the party found itself in just two years ago. In that election, Sen. Marco Rubio handily won reelection while Gov. Ron DeSantis was touted as a viable rival to Donald Trump for the Republican presidential nomination after cruising to his own reelection. But after announcing his presidential bid in May 2023, DeSantis never gained momentum and his campaign was suspended in January after only winning nine delegates of the 1,215 needed to win. DeSantis came under fire Monday after Florida Democrats held a press conference criticizing several actions that the governor has taken in opposition to the Amendment 4 ballot issue. The measure would restore abortion rights stripped away by the state’s Republican-led legislature. The Florida Agency for Health Care Administration, led by DeSantis appointee Jason Weida, posted a page on its official website attacking Amendment 4. The Tampa Bay Times has also reported that “election police” authorized by DeSantis have been interrogating people who signed petitions that put the amendment on the November ballot. At the press conference, Florida House Democratic Leader Fentrice Driskell described DeSantis’ actions as an attempt to “weaponize state government against its own people.” DeSantis defended his actions at a separate press event as “above board” and said the information was a “public service announcement” and that he was “glad they’re doing it.” Recent opinion polling has shown that most Florida voters disagree with DeSantis on the issue. According to a recent poll from The Hill/Emerson College, 55% of voters said they would vote "yes” for the legislation, while only 26% said “no.” Another 20% reported that they were “unsure.” The measure is required to have 60% support to become state law. Ever since the conservative majority on the Supreme Court voted to overturn Roe v. Wade, abortion rights have won every time the issue has come up for a vote at the state level. The conservative attack on abortion rights may also be negatively impacting the fortunes of another Florida Republican: Sen. Rick Scott. A poll released by The Hill/Emerson College on Sept. 6 shows a statistical dead heat between Scott and his challenger, former Democratic Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell. In campaign ads airing in the state, Mucarsel-Powell has criticized Scott for trying to “take away your freedoms,” noting his support for abortion bans and legislation that would raise middle-class taxes and curtail Social Security benefits. Another topic plaguing Florida Republicans is golf courses. A plan to build golf courses and resorts in some state parks led to bipartisan criticism of the DeSantis administration. The governor’s team described the “Great Outdoors Initiative” as a way to “expand public access” to parks. A few days after public outcry—including from Republicans who have supported DeSantis—the plan was pulled back. DeSantis then described the proposal from his own administration as “half-baked and not ready for prime time.” More Republican disunity can be seen in the split between DeSantis and Trump over another ballot issue: Amendment 3, which would legalize cannabis use for adults. DeSantis came out in opposition to the measure and said that in states like Colorado, which have legalized the drug, it “smells like marijuana.” Trump said he backs the legalization bill, which has popular support. In more bad news for the GOP, the Republican Party’s efforts to pick up a congressional seat in the House (where Republicans have steadily seen their majority dwindle since winning control in 2022) suffered another blow. The Cook Political Report recently changed its rating for the race in Florida’s 23rd Congressional District, listing it as “solid” in the Democratic column. The seat is currently held by Democratic Rep. Jared Moskowitz. Democrats also received positive news on the presidential election front in Florida polling. In a USA Today/Suffolk University/WSVN-TV poll released Aug. 13, Trump leads Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris by 5 points, which is within the poll’s +/- 4.4% margin of error. A Sept. 6 Emerson College/The Hill poll showed a similar gap, also within the margin of error, between the two candidates. Florida has been safe territory for Republicans in recent years. Trump defeated President Joe Biden there in 2020 and came out ahead of Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton there in 2016 as well. The last time a Democrat won the presidential race in Florida was in 2012, when President Barack Obama defeated Mitt Romney. Sign the petition: Say NO to Ron DeSantis' war on education [END] --- [1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2024/9/10/2269027/-DeSantis-and-Florida-GOP-keep-stumbling-and-fumbling-as-elections-near?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=top_news_slot_4&pm_medium=web Published and (C) by Daily Kos Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/