Racially Charged ‘Monkey’ Remark Opens Florida Governor’s Race
- GOP candidate warns against picking Democrat, who is black
- November campaign turns bitter hours after primary finished
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A day after Florida Republicans picked Ron DeSantis as their gubernatorial candidate, he used racially charged language when he told voters not to “monkey this up” in November by selecting his Democratic opponent, who is vying to become the state’s first black governor.
DeSantis, a white conservative congressman who was endorsed by President Donald Trump, made the statement in an interview on Fox News in which he also described Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum as "articulate" but "much too liberal for Florida.”