They are two young, high-profile governors of giant states who have a knack for attracting national attention and energizing the grassroots of their respective political parties.
Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom of California and Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida, who have been trading fire for nearly two years, will tangle once again this week — but this time their slugfest will be in person.
DeSantis, a candidate for the 2024 presidential nomination, and Newsom, whom Republican critics accuse of carrying out a shadow crusade for the White House despite trampling on such hypotheses as “ridiculous,” will face off Thursday in a moderated debate via Fox News. opinion presenter Sean Hannity.
The matchup, titled “DeSantis v. Newsom: The Great Red State vs. Blue State Debate,” will take place in Alpharetta, Georgia, a former red state that has one of the main battlegrounds for the general election between the two major political parties. .
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“He caters to a very far left slice of the electorate. I think that will be on display when we have the debate,” DeSantis said as he spoke with Fox News Digital earlier this week during a campaign stop in New Hampshire, the state that holds the first primary and second overall contest in the GOP presidential nominating calendar.
Newsom, in an appearance on Fox News’ “Hannity” earlier this fall, pointed the finger at DeSantis and, under pressure, said “I don’t like other people who demonize others or take advantage of vulnerable communities. I don’t like liars either. “
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Both governors have large national profiles, run the nation’s first and third most populous states and won overwhelming re-elections for governor last year as their rivalry intensified.
In 2022, Newsom aired an ad on the airwaves in Florida taking aim at DeSantis’ culture war technique when it comes to politics and policy. “Freedom is under attack in your state. Republican leaders are banning books, getting people on the ballot, restricting loose speech in classrooms, and even criminalizing women and doctors,” Newsom said in his speech.
Republican presidential candidate and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks at a Never Back Down event in Keene, New Hampshire, on Nov. 21. (REUTERS/Sophie Park/File Photo)
DeSantis, who has a hero for conservatives nationally for his resistance to coronavirus pandemic restrictions, earlier this year called San Francisco, the city where Newsom served two terms as mayor, a “dumpster fire. “
Governors, who have long struggled on social media over their other COVID policies, have this year traded criticism for DeSantis’ resolve to bring undocumented immigrants to California. The Florida governor has made border security a priority factor in recent years and has continually highlighted his efforts in the 2024 Republican presidential campaign.
Last week, a political organization aligned with Newsom began running an ad on Fox News’ “Hannity” that criticized DeSantis for Florida’s six-week abortion ban he signed into law this year.
“They are the best contrasts to each other. Or they run some of the largest states in the country. Or they have very vital roles in their respective parties and they like to get attention,” said Ryan Williams, a veteran Republican strategist and communicator. he told Fox News.
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Williams, a veteran of presidential and national campaigns, noted that “the best thing for them is to attack each other. This from any of its bases. And it provides them with a national platform to fight each other. “
DeSantis, once former President Donald Trump’s apparent choice in the race for the 2024 Republican nomination, has noticed his position erode over the summer and fall. Lately, he’s been battling former South Carolina ambassador and former governor Nikki Haley for the second place in the presidency. The polls, far from Trump, who remains the Republican front-runner as he runs for the White House for the third time in a row.
California Governor Gavin Newsom speaks with Fox News Digital in the movie theater at the time of the Republican presidential debate at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, on September 27 (Fox News – Paul Steinhauser).
Newsom is one of the most prominent surrogates for Biden, who is seeking a second term as president. But the 81-year-old president, who has struggled with underrated approval ratings for more than two years, has faced questions in recent months about his physical and cognitive ability to serve another four years in the White House. And Biden trails Trump in most recent polls ahead of a general election contest likely in 2024.
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While Newsom has repeatedly shot down speculation he would run for the White House next year should something happen to Biden, a well-publicized trip by the California governor to Israel and China last month sparked further buzz about his possible 2024 ambitions.
DeSantis, speaking to Fox News Digital, argued that “I warned Republican voters. . . it probably wouldn’t be Biden in 2024. “
“This guy is running a ghost campaign. He denies it, but even members of his own party say it,” DeSantis said of Newsom. “There’s [Vice President Kamala] Harris, there are a lot of other people who could end up running in 2024 if Biden can do it. I think there are a lot of other people in the Democratic Party who don’t need Biden to run. Ultimately, it will be their decision, but I think there is too much tension for me to take a step back.
Fox News’ Jamie Joseph contributed to this report.
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