Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) on Friday warned of an impending “Cold War” between Florida and Georgia if Democratic nominee Stacey Abrams wins the gubernatorial election in the latter state.
During a press conference in Gulf County, northwest Florida, DeSantis referred to the ongoing Masters golf tournament in Georgia and used it as an apparent entry point into the state election discussion.
DeSantis said he “really appreciates our Georgians,” but voters need to “take care” of the 2022 election to keep Abrams from winning.
“If Stacey Abrams is elected governor of Georgia, I want to be honest, it’s going to be a cold war between Florida and Georgia,” he said. “I can’t have that [former Cuban communist leader Raul] Castro on my south and Abrams on my north, that would be a disaster. So I hope you guys take care of that and we end up in good shape.”
The Hill has reached out to the DeSantis office for comment.
Abrams, a former House minority leader who previously ran for governor, is the undisputed candidate in the primary Democratic field but faces a competitive general election against incumbent Governor Brian Kemp (R) and former Senator David Perdue (R).
According to the latest poll, Abrams is 51-44 percent behind Kemp and 49-44 percent ahead of Perdue. Kemp narrowly beat Abrams for the governorship in 2018.
Kevin Spacey is asking the judge to drop Anthony Rapp’s sex abuse lawsuit
DeSantis has become a major force in the Republican Party and is flirting with a presidential nomination in 2024.
The Democratic nominee and Republican governor couldn’t be further apart on many issues, including gun control, immigration and the LGBTQ community.
DeSantis just signed the Don’t Say Gay law that bans discussion of gender identity and sexual orientation from kindergarten through third grade, which critics say marginalizes trans and LGBTQ youth, while Abrams’ campaign site says that she wants to “encourage and protect” LGBTQ children.
