Florida's gubernatorial candidates — Democrat Andrew Gillum and Republican Ron DeSantis — faced off in a debate Sunday in Tampa, moderated by CNN's Jake Tapper, and they touched on everything from race to climate change to school safety.
On the environment and climate change: DeSantis said he "ran in the Republican primary stressing the need for clean water," but he doesn't "want to be an alarmist" on climate change, and "I want to look at this and do what makes sense for Florida." Gillum said when he's elected, Floridians will "have a governor who believes in science, which we haven't had for quite some time in this state." After DeSantis said Gillum wants to enact a "California-style energy policy," he responded, "I'm not so sure what's so California about believing that the state of Florida ought to lead in solar energy. We're known as the Sunshine State."
On school shootings: Tapper mentioned that after the deadly shooting earlier this year in Parkland, Florida, Gov. Rick Scott (R) signed legislation that, among other things, raised the minimum age to purchase a firearm, and he asked DeSantis why he said he'd have vetoed that bill. "We are gonna fix it in terms of school security," DeSantis said, adding he's a "big supporter of school security." Gillum said DeSantis was against the legislation because "he is wholly owned by the NRA. He's not gonna stand up to the National Rifle Association."
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On race: DeSantis received criticism after he used the phrase "monkey this up" in regards to Gillum and did not return money to a donor who used a racial slur. He said on Sunday he will be "a governor for all Floridians, that's the only way you can do it." Gillum said that throughout the race, DeSantis has done everything "to draw all the attention he can to the color of my skin," and the "'monkey up' comment said it all." Catherine Garcia
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