Florida governor debate: Gillum clashes with DeSantis in heated final exchange before vote

Second debate between candidates marked by negative attacks

US Midterms 2018: The five big questions

Florida governor candidates Andrew Gillum and Ron DeSantis have exchanged sharp personal barbs in a heated second — and final — debate before voters take to the polls next month to determine which candidate will lead their state for the next four years.

The pair dragged one another through the mud on the debate stage at Broward College in Davie, Florida, where they were asked to describe their plan for the state on issue ranging from the environment, immigration, healthcare, and education.

But, they repeatedly returned to personal attacks in the process, suggesting the race has turned into an all-out verbal brawl as the candidates enter the home stretch of an election that has drawn national attention as something of a proxy to larger political headwinds in America.

“We have seen the collapsing of our political discourse,” Mr Gillum, the mayor of Tallahasee, said early in the debate when asked about a string of pipe bombs that had been sent to the offices and homes of Democratic leaders across the country on Wednesday. “My opponent, endorsed by him, has run this race very, very close to the Trump handbook, where we call each other names, where we run false advertisements”.

Mr DeSantis, a former US congressman with the backing of President Donald Trump, repeatedly attacked Mr Gillum over text messages that were recently revealed showing the Tallahassee governor communicating about receiving tickets to the play Hamilton that were provided by an undercover FBI agent.

“He wants you believe that he’s not under investigation,” Mr DeSantis said. “Why would an undercover FBI agent posing as a contractor give you a ticket to Hamilton?”

The Democrat has repeatedly insisted that he has been told he is not the subject of an FBI investigation, but recognised that his handling of the situation has led to problems. There is no indication that the FBI is investigating Mr Gillum.

“I take responsibility for not having asked more questions,” Mr Gillum said during the debate, noting that he was under the impression that his brother had returned the favor for the Hamilton tickets by giving Beyoncé and Jay-Z tickets to the individual they received the play tickets from. “But let me tell you, I’m running for governor. In the state of Florida we have many issues. And tickets to Hamilton ain’t one of them.”

If you want to know how the debate unfolded, check our live coverage below

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[25 October 2018 00:11 · Clark Mindock]

Mr Gillum had this gem to throw out there in regards to allegations of corruption related to receiving Hamilton tickets from an undercover FBI investigator:

[25 October 2018 00:13 · Clark Mindock]

Here's the first mention of President Trump. Mr DeSantis is asked how he can square the multiple investigations into the president — who he supports — with his attacks on Mr Gillum for receiving Hamilton tickets.

He attacked Mr Gillum, and then said he conducted oversight over the FBI to keep politics out of US intelligence services.

[25 October 2018 00:16 · Clark Mindock]

Mr Gillum has been asked about healthcare, and why he believes he can convince Republicans in Tallahassee to approve a Medicaid expansion.

He said that the Republican held Senate voted in favour of doing so.

"We deserve to expand Medicaid and offer access to healthcare to" the most vulnerable in our community, he said.

[25 October 2018 00:20 · Clark Mindock]

Mr DeSantis has been asked about his position on healthcare, and said that he would support care for pre-existing conditions. Republicans have recently landed on that talking point even though they recently attempted to pull back much of those protections.

"I will happily sign a bill to help folks with pre-existing conditions in the state of Florida," Mr DeSantis said.

Mr Gillum countered that he voted "repeatedly" to repeal the Affordable Care Act, which extended pre-existing condition coverage in the United States.

Mr DeSantis said that any Floridians who fall through the cracks would be cared for somehow.

[25 October 2018 00:20 · Chris Stevenson]

Outside of the healthcare issue, the ACLU legal advocacy group has put out their verdict on the two candidates about criminal justice issues.

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[25 October 2018 00:22 · Clark Mindock]

Mr Gillum was asked how a $15 an hour minimum policy that he supports would be paid for.

He responded that corporations and businesses receive billions in tax breaks a year in Florida, but promised not to repeal that. He then suggested that he is just trying to make sure that lower income Floridians have a little more money in their pockets to make ends meet.

[25 October 2018 00:25 · Clark Mindock]

Mr DeSantis attacked Mr Gillum, and said that he has a history of tax increases from his time as mayor of Tallahasee.

Mr Gillum has responded by attacking Mr DeSantis's support for the federal tax cuts championed by the Trump administration. Mr Gillum said that his opponent supported that legislation, which heavily benefited the wealthiest of Americans. He said that that money did not "trickle down" like Republicans say the money will.

He suggested that working Americans are the ones who should see that money.

"When working people get a raise they spend it. They pay their rent and they pay their mortgage and maybe they save enough to take a vacation. That shouldn't be too much in Florida," he said

[25 October 2018 00:28 · Clark Mindock]

Mr Gillum said that as governor he will push for more funding for public schools in Florida, and said that he will start that effort by paying teachers more money. Florida teachers, he said, make the 45th lowest wages in all 50 states.

"It's going to begin by paying teachers a wage they can live on right now.," he said

Referencing the low wages, Mr Gillum brought his grandmother into the conversation:

"If my grandmother were her she wouldn't just say that's a shame. She would say that's a crying shame," he said.

[25 October 2018 00:30 · Clark Mindock]

Here's a little more on Mr Gillum's promise to expand Medicaid in Florida under the Affordable Care Act. The policy, he said, would impact the neediest 800,000 Floridians by helping them pay for healthcare.

He said the issue is personal to him, too.

 "This means something to me," Mr Gillum said. "I remember having to wait for the free dental clinic to come through my neighborhood so I could have my teeth cleaned."

[25 October 2018 00:35 · Clark Mindock]

Mr Gillum says that he wants the Department of Homeland Security to take over the work of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which has been criticized recently after it was learned that border agents were separating children from their mothers at the border.

"We ... believe that we're a nation in a state of values where we don't separate babies, put them in cages to separate them from their mothers," Mr Gillum said after saying that there are no sanctuary cities in Florida.

"I believe in borders here in the United States but I believe that our mission has been diverted toward taking away breast feeding babies from their mothers and that is inconsistent with the American way," Mr Gillum said.