Tallahassee, FL — Congressman Charlie Christ (D-Fla.) has paused from his normal campaign stance as a “happy warrior”.
In a sign that the Democratic primary for governor has entered a bitter new phase, Florida legislators attacked rival Nikki Freed with a ferocious new mailer, calling her “the Republican party leader for big tobacco and insurance companies.” “Lobbyist,” pointing to her former friendship with lawmakers. Matt Gates (R-Fla.).
Mailers are hitting the mailboxes of Democratic voters this week — who will run against Gov. Ron DeSantis in a very strong election for the incumbent to win, about three weeks before the Aug. 23 primary. Decide The decision to highlight Freed’s ties to Gates was a Panhandle Republican and a staunch defender of former President Donald Trump, who at a conservative conference would not appeal to those protesting abortion rights. Because of this, she caused a nationwide uproar after she said she didn’t want anyone to get her “pregnant”.
Freed, the state agriculture commissioner, has been attacking Christo for months because he overtook him in funding and endorsements. She targets his past record when he was a Republican, argued that his current support for abortion rights could be extinguished if he wins the election. He spent nearly $900,000 on several mailers, highlighting his past opposition to same-sex marriage and his support for reviving chain gangs in the ’90s. prison inmates.
Freed’s campaign has been influenced by their strategy of alienating Christo from trusted Democratic voters by highlighting his past record, despite Christo’s dominance in recent polls. I was looking at the negative emails as confirmation.
Self-proclaimed ‘pro-life’ man Charlie Christ photoshops fake ‘Republican’ signs of the only Democrat elected statewide, calling her a ‘Republican lobbyist’ in emails said Freed campaign spokesman Caroline Colva. in a statement. “It’s time for all the women who supported Charlie Christ’s campaign to speak up, disown him and reject his lies about supporting women and women’s health. He is a fraud and a coward.” and loses three times (soon he will lose four).”
Prior to being elected to the Agriculture Commissioner in 2018, Freed was a lobbyist, representing companies primarily involved in the state’s burgeoning medical marijuana industry. But he has also represented other companies, including a Florida tobacco company and an insurance trade association.
Although she was never registered as a Republican, she has donated to Republicans such as Attorney General Ashley Moody and helped campaign Republican legislators such as Manny Diaz Jr., who is now the state school commissioner. .
Freed befriended Gates when he was a state legislator who was heavily involved in legislative work surrounding medical marijuana. Gaetz said on Twitter that his Fried was the first to ask him about his well-being after the Jan. 6 riots at the Capitol. Freed has repeatedly said he is no longer friends with and has no contact with Gates, who has been under federal investigation since November 2020 over whether he paid for sex with a 17-year-old girl. He has consistently denied any wrongdoing and has not faced any charges related to the investigation.
Christo’s campaign defended its decision to send out hard-hitting mailers. Christo also states that he is “100% in favor of the choice”, saying that he is responding to a barrage of attacks from Freed.
“Nikki Fried has spent most of this campaign negatively and falsely attacking Charlie’s record,” Christo’s publicist Sam Ramirez said in an email. We’re spending a million dollars on ads that attack, we’re telling voters that Charlie is 100% in favor of the pick, and that Freed has a very troubling record of supporting the rise of the Republican Party, And I am taking the kindness to make sure voters know that my personal relationship with Matt Gates should put everyone on hold.”
Christo has had a long political career and has shown a negative attitude in several elections. One of his memorable advertisements for the 2006 Republican gubernatorial race blamed his opponents for failing to vote in Congress.
But part of Christo’s appeal lies in his terrible demeanor and his continued attempt to brand himself as a more civilized, old-fashioned type of candidate who can win over each voter with a smile. It was an attempt. At some point in the current gubernatorial race, He compared himself to President Joe Biden and said he was running a campaign. About “Dignity and Mutual Respect”.
Democratic elected representatives who supported Christo in the primary cited this and Christo’s decision to give most of his attention to DeSantis as reasons for supporting him over Freed.
Rep. Anna Escamani, a progressive Democrat from Orlando, said as long as Freed “lies” about Christo’s record, a response should be expected.
“According to Commissioner Freed and her team, I am an off-brand AOC,” said Escamani, a prominent New York Democrat. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez“People like me get ready for fact-checking if she’s going to keep lying about Charlie’s record.”