BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. — A day before voters cast their ballots on Election Day — amid hurricane preparation — Gov. Ron DeSantis made his final campaign push in Palm Beach County.
The governor visited Everglades Equipment Group in Boynton Beach, just hours after he issued a state of emergency order for 34 counties anticipating landfall from Subtropical Storm Nicole later this week.
Hundreds of supporters gathered to see the governor at the event.
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Sounding a little raspy during his speech — almost like he was losing his voice — the governor began his speech by asking his supporters if they are happy to live in a free state.
This has been the governor's consistent message during his campaign. He recounted his actions during the pandemic, keeping schools open, banning vaccine passports and COVID-19 mandates overall.
The governor touched on the appeal his policies have had on Republicans across the country, many of whom decided to move to Florida.
DeSantis asked the crowd how many moved to Florida in the last four years and hands went up across the room.
His main message to his supporters — and one that seems to resonate — are the things Florida is doing that stand out from the rest of the country.
"What you saw around the country, you saw freedom withering on the vine," DeSantis said. "We in Florida, we're the ones that held the line for you, for your families, for jobs, for businesses, for our kids' education. We chose freedom over Fauci-ism in the state of Florida."
The governor also mentioned President Joe Biden's visit to South Florida last week, making a joke about an elderly man wandering in Florida.
DeSantis said inflation, higher energy prices and the crisis at the border all stem from the Biden administration's policies.
"I want every Florida voter to know that the Democrats in the state are standing with Joe Biden and his policies 100% of the time and what we're seeing is the fruits of those policies," DeSantis said.
He also praised first lady Casey DeSantis' work prior to Hurricane Ian even making landfall, saying she started a disaster relief fund prior to the storm ever hitting.
The governor briefly talked about the potential storm impacts for Florida occurring later this week and mentioned that Tuesday should be fine for the election.
Democratic challenger Charlie Crist was in Fort Pierce on Monday where he spoke about the housing crisis in Florida and unaffordability concerns impacting residents while also attacking the governor's policies.
