Florida governor debate: Ron DeSantis, Charlie Crist debate CRT | USA TODAY

Gov. Ron DeSantis and former Congressman Charlie Crist made their arguments on many controversial topics including critical race theory and abortion.

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Democrat Charlie Crist clearly knew that Monday night’s TV debate likely proved his last chance to change the course of his flagging and out-financed campaign against Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis. He came out swinging — rhetorically. Trailing in the polls and vastly outspent, Crist went at DeSantis at the outset of the hourlong debate from Fort Pierce’s Sunrise Theatre.

“You’re going to hear a stark contrast in this debate and this election,” Crist said in his opening statement. “It’s a stark contrast between somebody who believes in a woman’s right to choose, I think that’s fundamentally important, and Gov. DeSantis has signed a bill that would restrict that right, even in cases of rape or incest.”

DeSantis didn’t immediately respond to the abortion topic. But he did repeatedly work over the hour to link his Democratic opponent to President Biden, who is unpopular in most polls. DeSantis cited the “Biden-Crist energy policies” for raising gas prices, the “Biden-Crist economy,” for inflation, and said the Democrat shared in what he sees as the failure of Biden’s border policies.

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