The political sparring has officially begun as the Democratic gubernatorial ticket and the DeSantis administration are unloading on each other. Over the weekend, gubernatorial candidate Florida Rep. Charlie Crist (D)announced that Karla Hernandez-Mats was his running mate. Considering that the DeSantis administration and teacher's unions have had a contentious relationship, Team DeSantis has slammed the Lt. Governor candidate. In a message to supporters, Team DeSantis called Hernandez-Mats “the Randi Weingarten of Florida.”
Calling the pick “a giant slap in the face to every Florida parent and student across the state,” the DeSantis team called Hernandez-Mats “an anti-parent, pro-lockdown, Castro regime-sympathizer, teachers’ union radical.”
Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried (D), who challenged Crist in the primary, released a Tweet, addressing the path forward in the gubernatorial election. Although she was defeated in the primary, Fried did throw her support behind Crist and criticizing DeSantis’ “Top Gov” advertisement.
I may have lost my primary, but at least I’ve never put on a fighter pilot costume to pretend I was Tom Cruise without the looks, charm, or skills.
— Nikki Fried (@NikkiFried) August 28, 2022
“I may have lost my primary, but at least I’ve never put on a fighter pilot costume to pretend I was Tom Cruise without the looks, charm, or skills.”
While Democrats are championing the Democratic gubernatorial ticket, the DeSantis Team instead argues that Hernandez Mats’ “extremism does not stop at her attempted destruction of our schools,” adding that “even after the sweeping victories of Governor DeSantis-endorsed school board candidates – proving Floridians are looking for education, not indoctrination for our students – Charlie picks the Randi Weingarten of Florida as his choice for Florida’s Lieutenant Governor.”
Both Lt. Governor Jeanette Nuñez (R) and Hernandez-Mats have amassed controversy with recent remarks, including Nuñez’s comments on the Spanish language radio show “Actualidad Radio” and Hernandez-Mast eulogizing Fidel Castro when he died in 2016.
A political figure dies at 90. Most in Miami rejoice, many in Cuba mourn #FidelCastro
— Karla Hernández (@KarlaforFlorida) November 26, 2016
“A political figure dies at 90,” Hernandez-Mast wrote on Twitter, adding that “most in Miami rejoice, many in Cuba mourn.”
