Gov. DeSantis Releases New Ad Bashing Newsom Before Sacramento Fundraising Visit

Florida Governor and  2024 Republican Presidential candidate Ron DeSantis released a new ad critical of Governor Gavin Newsom’s Governorship ahead of a visit to Northern California on Monday, pushing back at his rival while also drawing attention away from a visit to the area by President Joe Biden.

While the DeSantis-Newsom rivalry dates back to when both were on their respective Gubernatorial campaign trails, the action of both lawmakers going after both each other and their opposite state has been going on for roughly a year.

In July of last year, Newsom bought select ad space in several major Florida markets, playing a commercial of Newsom going after Florida policies and glorifying California. While many in Florida, including DeSantis, denounced the ads and pushed back at California, Newsom then put up billboards in several states, including Florida only a few months later, going after strict abortion policies.

While the ad battle generally went back towards going after each other during speeches and in press releases, attitudes began to change once again during the Spring of 2023, with DeSantis adding to the rivalry by flying several dozen illegal immigrants to Sacramento via a chartered jet. Last month, DeSantis announced that he would be heading to Northern California to both raise support for his 2024 GOP bid, as well as lead a major fundraising effort. While speeches and some California policy bashing was expected, many speculated that DeSantis would go beyond that for his visit. That prevailing thought turned true on Monday with DeSantis releasing his newest ad.

The debate is already settled.

California’s liberal governance is a disaster. @RonDeSantis’ conservative policies have Florida thriving, and would do so for the nation. pic.twitter.com/c4a8P5g5UQ

— DeSantis War Room 🐊 (@DeSantisWarRoom) June 19, 2023

The 1 minute and 17 second ad begins by playing various news clips highlighting California’s recent population loss, the homeless crisis, rising crime, San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria talking about homelessness, Newsom himself talking about situations in the state being like a “third world country,” and businesses leaving the state. The ad then shifts to positive news clips of Florida, showing populations gains, low unemployment, and crime dropping in the state to a 50 year low.

The clips are also interspersed with a recent speech by DeSantis on those issues. In the ad, DeSantis says, “The American people as a whole have voted with their feet when you compare California against Florida. We have had a great experiment in governing philosophies. We’ve witnessed a great American exodus from states governed by leftist politicians. This is a result of better governance in states like Florida. It is the result of poor governance in these left wing states. That’s why people are moving.”

While Newsom has yet to respond to the new ad on Monday, many commentators did note that in a recent Hannity interview last week, Newsom claimed that, per capita, more Floridians move to California than California is moving to Florida, while also noting that over a dozen states, including many red states, also lost population.

The new ad also threw off the momentum of President Biden’s visit to Palo Alto, and led to greater anticipation over DeSantis’ fundraising visit to Sacramento. The fundraising event, to be a $3,300 per plate breakfast at the Del Paso Country Club hosted by Steve Eggert, the founder of the real estate development company Anton DevCo, is expected to draw in significant attention for DeSantis, especially over the new ad and recent migrant flights to the city sponsored by his state.

A new ad for DeSantis

Experts noted that the new ad, coming on the heels of DeSantis’ 2024 Presidential run announcement and in the midst of speculation over a similar run by Governor Newsom, will only further the divide between the two Governors and could be more in the buildup for a possible 2024 or 2028 Presidential election matchup.

“This is just the latest in the saga between DeSantis and Newsom,” said political consultant Michele Tyler, who has worked in both California and Florida, to the Globe on Monday. “DeSantis released the ad, and is really pushing the economic growth angle right now, at the same time that California has finally begun to score some economic wins against Florida. Last month, Newsom was really gloating about Disney canceling huge plans in Florida and bringing back jobs to California from Florida. Recent stories of the homeless population growing in Florida aren’t helping things either. But, since becoming Governor, the points DeSantis made in the ad are true, especially the overall population loss for California and gains for Florida. Even the most conservative figures show that.”

“Newsom will probably wait for DeSantis to leave the state to respond. If he’s smart, he’ll wait until he is in the air, then release a statement, and then have DeSantis scramble a response to reporters waiting on the ground in Florida. That’s usually how these things go.”

“Yes, overall, the ad will ruffle some feathers and only further puts down the gauntlet for Newsom. DeSantis is all in on 2024 and is showing with the fundraiser that many within California are for him, which can be huge come the California GOP primary. The ball is now in Newsom’s court. He will defend California and it’s policies, of course, and go after Florida again, probably mentioning the Disney situation and having the freedom of abortion or LGBT rights or something like that. But the question is if this will change Newsom’s mind on a 2024 run against Biden. He keeps saying he won’t, but other actions hint otherwise.”

Newsom and other California lawmakers are expected to respond to the ad in the next several days.