DeSantis, Gillum debate Trump, more in gubernatorial debate

Allegations of racism, socialist leanings and corrupt behavior — three claims that have loomed large in the Florida governor’s race — received plenty of attention Sunday during the first debate between Democrat Andrew Gillum and Republican Ron DeSantis, as did some big issues such as climate change and health care that have been obscured by the more sensational aspects of the race.

After receding into the background as the candidates responded to Hurricane Michael and the storm’s aftermath, the nation’s marquee governor’s race roared back to life Sunday in a highly combative debate that received a national spotlight on CNN.

The stark contrasts between Gillum and DeSantis — polar opposite candidates who each embrace some of the more aggressive elements within their parties — were on full display as they offered dramatically different policy proposals.

The race has been incredibly contentious from the start, with one candidate being called a racist and the other a corrupt socialist. Those allegations were explored Sunday and led to some intense back and forth between the two men.

The charge of racism has lingered around DeSantis, a former congressman from Northeast Florida, after he used the phrase “monkey this up” to describe the impact of Gillum’s policies on the economy, and persisted thanks to a series of questionable associations, including a major donor who called President Barack Obama a “(expletive) Muslim (racial epithet).”

Debate moderator Jake Tapper brought up the racial controversies halfway through the one-hour match-up.

DeSantis pointed to his military service and record as a prosecutor working with people of all races to argue he is color blind.

“Floridians can know that I’ll be a governor for all Floridians; that’s the only way you can do it,” he said.

And the GOP candidate turned the issue back on Gillum, accusing him of associating with people who have extreme views on police and Israel.

Gillum noted he has visited Israel three times and said his relationship with the country is “beyond reproach” before accusing DeSantis of trying “to draw all the attention he can to the color of my skin.”

“You know what I’m black, I’ve been black all my life, so far as I know I will die black,” Gillum said.

Meanwhile, DeSantis has accused Gillum — the mayor of Tallahassee — of embracing socialism and being corrupt, pointing to his support for Medicare for all for health care and the ongoing FBI investigation into Tallahassee city government, an investigation that has not implicated Gillum in any wrongdoing so far.

Tapper asked Gillum about the FBI investigation, pointing out that one of Gillum’s longtime friends appears to be a target of the probe and that two trips Gillum took with the friend are part of the investigation.

“We all have friends that sometimes let us down,” Gillum said, adding: “I am not under FBI investigation.”

Gillum then accused DeSantis of trying to undermine another federal probe, the investigation by Special Counsel Robert Mueller into potential ties between President Donald Trump’s campaign and Russia.

DeSantis ignored the comment and kept the heat on Gillum, repeatedly pressing him about who paid for a trip to Costa Rica and a ticket to the Broadway musical Hamilton.

“Where are the receipts?” DeSantis asked. “You have not proven that you paid for anything.”

“I don’t take free trips from anybody,” Gillum responded. “I’m a hard-working person. I know that may not fit your description of what you think people like me do, but I’ve worked hard for everything that I’ve gotten in my life and I don’t need anybody handing me anything for free.”

Gillum then brought up a recent report that DeSantis spent $145,000 in taxpayer money on travel as a congressman, including trips to appear on Fox News, and will not release the travel records.

“It’s all part of the record, Jake; every expense we do is on there so that’s a red herring,” DeSantis said.

The back and forth about corruption was one of the testier exchanges in a debate that had plenty.

Tapper led off by asking DeSantis about climate change, noting there is scientific evidence that the phenomenon is making storms such as Hurricane Michael more powerful and pointing to comments DeSantis has made that seem to minimize the issue.

“What I said was I don’t want to be an alarmist,” DeSantis said, before adding that the state should look at building “resiliency” against sea level rise and attacking Gillum for proposing a “California-style energy policy” that would require electric utilities to generate a percentage of their energy from sources that do not release carbon emissions.

DeSantis said Gillum’s plan would cause electric rates to “skyrocket.”

“I’m not sure what is so California about believing that the state of Florida ought to lead in solar energy,” Gillum said. “We’re known as the Sunshine State, at the very least what we can do is be a global leader here.”

On another big environmental issue in the race — the toxic algae blooms that have been plaguing the state — DeSantis repeatedly pointed to his endorsement by the Everglades Trust while Gillum called him an “election-year environmentalist.”

Gillum’s support for Medicare for all and other more liberal proposals — such as a plan to raise the state’s corporate income tax to pay for education — have been criticized by DeSantis, who repeatedly has returned to the socialism critique.

“Congressman DeSantis says you have a far-left socialist platform; why is he wrong?” Tapper asked.

Gillum avoided talking about Medicare for all and emphasized his support for expanding Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act.

DeSantis tried to pin him down.

“Would you sign the bill for single-payer healthcare?” DeSantis asked, after earlier saying that under such a system “taxes will go through the roof, we’ll obviously face fiscal difficulties … and then the government will choose who gets the care and who doesn’t.”

Gillum ignored the question and focused on DeSantis’s votes to repeal the Affordable Care Act and protections in the law for people with pre-existing conditions.

“He voted to allow insurance companies to discriminate against folks with pre-existing conditions,” Gillum said before alluding to the fact that DeSantis has not offered a health care plan.

The Florida governor’s race is being watched nationally because of what it will say about the political mood of the country.

A victory for DeSantis — who has been strongly supported by Trump — would signal that the president is still a force to be reckoned with.

Gillum’s campaign is a test of whether the Democrat Party’s strongly progressive wing — which has been ascendant — can have broad appeal.

Trump’s endorsement helped carry DeSantis to victory in the GOP primary over Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam. The president reiterated his support for DeSantis in a tweet Saturday and took a shot at Gillum, saying he “runs one of the worst & most corrupt cities in USA!”

Trump also factored into Sunday’s debate.

DeSantis played up his close relationship with the president, saying he’d be able to get more federal assistance for Florida because he works well with Trump. He noted that Gillum has called for Trump’s impeachment.

“It’s a difference between productive leadership and destructive leadership,” DeSantis said. “Andrew wants to lead the anti-Trump resistance from Tallahassee. He’s going to have Soros clapping, he’s going to have Hollywood actors clapping, but the people of Florida will be left behind.”

Gillum called DeSantis a Trump “stooge” and “acolyte” and said he “he will lead the effort to worship at the feet of Donald Trump.”

“We live in a democracy. We don’t worship the president; we hold him accountable at every single turn,” Gillum said.

The two candidates will debate again Wednesday at Broward College in a 7 p.m. matchup that will be broadcast on C-SPAN, public radio stations and various local TV stations.