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Yet another prominent Republican has backed Democrat Mike Collier in the Texas Lieutenant Governor election. What are we to make of these cross-party endorsements?

DALLAS The landscape continues to shift in the race for Texas Lieutenant Governor.

"As we become more and more diverse in the state of Texas, our leadership needs to adapt to that diversity and try to represent all of the people in the state of Texas -- even the ones with whom we have philosophical disagreements," Seliger said on this week's episode of WFAA's Yall-itics podcast. "I think thats very important. Dan Patrick is an extremist."

If nothing else, Mike Collier certainly appreciates the help, acknowledging that the sudden GOP support for his candidacy is energizing his campaign all across the state.

The Democrat thinks he knows why its happening, too. He said to Y'all-itics that he thought it represented more than just some disgruntled Republicans.

"I think theyre concerned about the direction of the state," told the podcast this week. "The Lieutenant Governor has outsized influence on where we go as a state -- and we are not headed in the right place."

While significant, Senator Seligers support isnt necessarily surprising. There has been bad blood between Seliger, a Republican from Amarillo, and incumbent Texas Lt. Gov. Patrick for years.

Seliger didnt endorse the Republican incumbent for re-election in 2018, either -- although he also didnt actively support anyone else in the race. (Seliger is quick to point out that Patrick didnt endorse him that year either.)

Fast forward four years and, with Seliger retiring at the end of this year, the gloves are now off. Patricks campaign has described Seliger and Republican Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley, who also recently said hell vote for Collier and who is also retiring at the end of the year, as "dinosaurs" searching for relevance.

We invited Patrick to join us on either Yall-itics or "Inside Texas Politics" this week to expand on that statement. A spokesman for his campaign told us he was unavailable.

As for Seliger, he said hes backing Collier partly for the state of Texas and partly for the Texas Senate. He said he felt the Republican caucus in the Senate has long been working under the threat of demotion.

"In 2017, the lieutenant governor made a big pronouncement that he had 30 priorities, 30 legislative priorities," Seliger said. "No other lieutenant governor had really done something like that. I voted against two of them -- and, for that, I lost my chairmanship and I lost membership on things like the finance committee, which was a real slap in the face to the people in west Texas. And thats the way the Senate runs [under Patrick]."

The question now becomes whether these Republicans supporting a Democrat is a canary in the coal mine for the Texas GOP or just a passing fad.

Collier would have you believe it's the former. He said hes met with at least a dozen elected, Republican officials in person about supporting his election. His campaign later told us the figure was likely well over two dozen in actuality.

"Sometimes its OK to be seen walking into their office," Collier told Y'all-itics, smiling. "Sometimes we meet someplace else so that nobody can see."

Votebeat Editorial Director Jessica Huseman said the Republican endorsements for Collier actually reflect a national trend. Votebeat is a nonprofit news organization that closely follows elections and voting on a local level.

Huseman has spent a lot of time talking to Texans -- residents and politicians alike. And she told Y'all-itics that, while nothing may change this November, Texas could be looking at some shakeups in 2024 or 2026.

"We're already seeing a generational shift in Texas," Huseman said. "So, if the Republican Party is feeling like they have to move back on some of their most extreme positions right now, I think that that sort of sets the stage for a leftward movement in the state -- like slow, and comparatively not as left as other states. But, y'know, Texas can't really get any farther right."

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Republicans are lining up to endorse a Democrat in the race for Lt. Gov. Is this a canary in the coal mine for the Texas GOP? - WFAA.com

With just eight weeks until the midterm elections, things are starting to look up for Democrats.

They now lead the generic vote after trailing Republicans for months: nearly one-half (47 percent) of registered voters say they would vote for a Democrat, compared to 44 percent for a Republican, per recent Wall Street Journalpolling.

Further, gas prices are on the decline, President Bidens signature spending bill passed, and voters in Kansas a state Trump won by15 percentin 2020 resoundinglyrejecteda Republican-led abortion ban, indicating that protecting abortion rights could be a motivating issue for voters in November.

Democrats are also outperforming expectations in special elections across the country. This week, Democrat Mary PeltoladefeatedSarah Palin for Alaskas vacant House seat, and last week,Democrat Pat Ryanwonan upset victory over Republican Marc Molinaro in New Yorks 19th Congressional District.

While these are encouraging developments for Democrats, it would be a mistake to say that the party is not still electorally vulnerable.Inflationcontinues to destroy Americans purchasing power,gas prices while they have steadily decreased remain high,gun violenceis terrorizing cities and Southern states continue to experience huge surges inillegal immigration.

Ultimately, in order for Democrats momentum to continue through November, the party needs to adopt a third-way agenda and specifically, demonstrate their ability to practice fiscal prudence and lead on both crime and immigration reform, while also continuing to advocate for abortion rights and gun safety.

Practicing fiscal prudence is a key component of a new Democratic approach. Rising prices and the high cost of living are weighing on American families, and Democrats cant afford to be dragged further to the left on economic policy. The party needs to communicate about how they will lower costs, secure Americas energy independence and avoid tax increases that strangle American businesses and families.

Further, as crime rates surge across the country with nearly 9-in-10 (89 percent) of Americans saying crime is a very or somewhat important issue to them, per Economist/YouGovpollingDemocrats should pledge ahead of the midterms to pursue a grand bargain with Republicans on criminal justice legislation in the new Congress.

This deal would involve funding and strengthening local law enforcement, while also making the criminal justice system fairer for Black Americans, who are disproportionately victims of police misconduct and are mistreated under the current system.

Beyond the necessity and practicality of such reforms, by prioritizing crime reduction, national Democrats can shield electorally vulnerable members of their party against GOP attacks linking Democratic policies to rising crime rates.

Critically, national Democrats also must make a concerted effort to reject irresponsible bail reform policies, which allow dangerous criminals to go free. This become a signature marker of the current class of liberal district attorneys and is emerging as a major vulnerability for Democrats in 2022.

Even in deep-blue New York City, nearly two-thirds (64 percent) of votersbelievethese bail reform policies have resulted in increased crime. As a result, the New Yorkdistrict attorney, as well as those in other liberal cities Los Angeles,San FranciscoandChicago, among them have faced significant national blowback, with some even facing recall elections because of these policies.

Immigration is another key issue that Democrats can double down on ahead of the midterms. Given the crisis in our country both at the border and in terms of the status of millions of hardworking undocumented immigrants Democrats need to make a visible effort to move to the center on this issue.

Over the past year and a half, Americans have been bombarded with news aboutrecord-highillegal border crossings and ICE detention centersover capacity. For their part, Republicans have been successful in tying the border crisis to the Biden administrations failed policies and to the broader national trend of rising crime.

At the same time, progressives haveslammedBiden for not making more of an effort to keep his campaign promises to provide a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants and protect Dreamers.

Thus, over the next eight weeks, Democrats can advocate for balanced, moderate and targeted immigration policies that secure the border, permanently protect Dreamers and create a pathway to citizenship for more than 11 million undocumented immigrants.

Last Thursday in aspeechto the nation, President Biden demonstrated for the most part the type of centrist, conciliatory leadership that Democrats need to practice if they hope to maintain midterm momentum.

Speaking to the current divisions in the U.S., Biden made clear that he was not seeking to demonize all Republicans by calling out the Trump-wing of the party for their attacks on democracy, and said that he hopes to work with the majority of the GOP to find common ground for the sake of the nation.

Now, I want to be very clear, very clear upfront. Not every Republican, not even the majority of Republicans are MAGA Republicans I know because Ive been able to work with these mainstream Republicans Im an American president, not a president of red America or blue America, but of all America, Biden said.

Later in the speech, he urged the country to build a future that does not dwell on the past, not on divisive culture wars, not on the politics of grievance, but on a future we can build together.

While other segments of President Bidens speech were less conciliatory, he largely struck the right tone by appealing to the non-MAGA wing of the Republican party and underscoring the importance of preserving American democracy.

Over the next eight weeks, it is essential that Democratscommunicate an uplifting vision for the future that is focused on addressing the nations most pressing issues inflation, crime and immigration while also advocating stanchly for protecting abortion rights, safeguarding gay marriage, strengthening gun safety laws and securing American democracy.

Douglas E. Schoen is a political consultant who served as an adviser to President Clinton and to the 2020 presidential campaign of Michael Bloomberg. His new book is The End of Democracy? Russia and China on the Rise and America in Retreat.

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An alternative strategy for Democrats to secure the midterms - The Hill

The top Democrat in charge of the partys reelection efforts in the House said Sunday the partys candidates are ready to campaign with President Biden after several victories in Congress and at the ballot box.

Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney of New York, chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, pointed to the passage of several significant laws and special elections as evidence the party is poised to combat a Republican surge come November amid shifting momentum.

You better believe were going to stand with the president and say we passed in a bipartisan way better roads, better bridges, better health care for our veterans, Mr. Maloney told Fox News Sunday. Thats the kind of agenda that were standing in support of, and you see it working in the polls.

Despite Mr. Bidens poor approval rating in the polls and economic pains brought on by the highest inflation in four decades, the Democratic candidates in recent special elections in Alaska and New York proved triumphant over their GOP opponents.

Rather than a red tsunami, Democrats have become increasingly optimistic that they can stave off a Republican takeover of Congress. The GOP needs net gains of just one seat in the Senate and five in the House to capture control of the chambers.

Legislative victories, such as helping veterans exposed to toxins, boosting the domestic semiconductor chip industry, and a tax and climate spending bill aimed at lowering health care costs and spurring clean energy, are also buoying Democrats hopes.

SEE ALSO: Ukrainian immigrant runs as Republican to take down House Democrat in deep-blue Northern Virginia

You better believe Democrats are going to celebrate that, Mr. Maloney said. So are the voters, and thats why weve been winning in special elections from Alaska to New York.

Continued here:
Top Democrat says candidates ready to campaign with Biden amid renewed midterm optimism - Washington Times

Buoyed by the success of their counterparts in Kansas, Texas activists are determined to use Novembers midterm elections to kick-start the restoration of abortion rights.

But they have a much heavier lift than progressives in Kansas, where women voters powered the approval of a referendum in favor of abortion rights. Texas ballots wont include an up-or-down question on abortion, but there is a way to reverse the states ban: Fire Republican incumbent Gov. Greg Abbott and deliver the House and Senate to Democrats.

Thats unlikely to occur.

And unlike other states, Texas hasnt seen a wave of new women voters angry about the U.S. Supreme Court decision to strike down Roe vs. Wade.

Just over 309,100 Texans have registered to vote or updated their registrations since Aug. 15. Of that total, half are women. Residents have until Oct. 11 to match or exceed 544,000 the number of new or updated registrations in the 2018 midterms.

The unremarkable number of new registrations means abortion rights activists will have to persuade existing voters to toss out Republicans. Thats a tough task because the Texas electorate has more Republicans than Democrats, according to numerous analyses and election results. If Democrats want to restore abortion rights, theyll have to do so over time, instead of in one electoral cycle.

The political dynamic on abortion in Texas and Kansas is like night and day, University of Houston political scientist Brandon Rottinghaus said. Its hard to see the abortion issue directly mapping onto the Texas political landscape.

But he said Democrats have opportunities to make a major statement about the direction of the Lone Star State, where Republicans control both chambers of the Legislature and every executive office.

If there is a target on the abortion issue personified in a candidate, its Greg Abbott, Rottinghaus said. He was front and center for all of those battles and he definitely is going to get whatever rewards or benefits come from that.

Abbott is running for a third term against former U.S. Rep. Beto ORourke, D-El Paso.

Abortion rights activists also see opportunity in the attorney generals race, with a recent poll by The Dallas Morning News and the University of Texas at Tyler showing Democrat Rochelle Garza in a dead heat with incumbent Ken Paxton.

They certainly can blame the fact that we lost abortion rights on the existing leadership, said former Texas Sen. Wendy Davis, who in 2014 challenged Abbott for governor after a filibuster that temporary stalled a restrictive abortion bill.

Abortion opponents say Republicans will win on the strength of their anti-abortion policies.

I dont think youre gonna see anything similar to what we saw in Kansas, said John Seago, president of Texas Right to Life, an anti-abortion group. But you are going to see in the governors race a real stark difference between pro-abortion voters and pro-life voters. And I think were going to show Texas is still strongly pro-life.

In anticipation of the Roe vs. Wade decision, Texas lawmakers passed a trigger mechanism that went into effect last month. The law bans all abortions, with exceptions for medical emergencies but not for rape or incest.

The outcry against the high courts decision and state bans led to mobilization efforts across the country, with an Aug. 2 Kansas referendum the first major test.

According to a New York Times analysis, Kansas women made up 50% of new voter registrants after a draft of the Supreme Court decision was leaked in May, and nearly two-thirds in the weeks after the official ruling. The Times reported that of those who cast a ballot in the August primaries for governor, 38% were Democrats, up from 33% four years ago.

Kansas is one of 10 states that, according to the analysis, has seen broad increases in women registering to vote.

Texas is not on that list.

Still, activists and veteran Democrats say the Roe vs. Wade decision has generated enthusiasm that will be reflected in the existing electorate.

We are seeing a lot of energy in Texas, in both our support base and the everyday persons, said Drucilla Tigner, a deputy director at Planned Parenthood Votes. Were determined to elect pro-choice candidates up and down the ballot.

Davis also said shes seen a real movement with moderates and independent women.

The News and UT-Tyler poll revealed that relatively few voters, 13% of the 1,384 Texans surveyed Aug. 1-7, said abortion should be illegal in all instances, and 25% said the procedure should be legal in all cases. Respondents were split when asked about most cases, with 31% who said it should be illegal and 30% who said legal.

More respondents said they disapproved of the Supreme Courts decision than approved, but those who said they approved of the ruling were slightly more likely to say they will vote in the Nov. 8 midterm elections.

The lack of new voters in an electorate that leans Republican gives GOP candidates confidence that the abortion issue wont rally Texans to vote against them. And some Republicans say the notion that theres high-octane energy in the states abortion rights movement is hype.

Theres more sound than action in what were seeing from the pro-abortion people, said Denton County Commissioner and former Denton County GOP chairwoman Dianne Edmondson. I really dont think that theyre going to have the numbers put together or the motivation to have any effect on the election.

Most Texas Democrats concede that Republicans have firm control of the Legislature and the states congressional districts, with last years redistricting process resulting in few swing districts.

So the beginning of any restoration process starts with statewide contests, most notably the race for governor.

ORourke has made reproductive rights a focal point of his campaign against Abbott. His first two television commercials featured Texans decrying the loss of abortion rights.

The Democrat has held several rallies in support of abortion rights, including one the day the states trigger ban went into effect that attracted several thousand people in Houston.

Texas today is the epicenter for a maternal mortality crisis that plagues this country, and it has been made worse by Greg Abbotts attack on women, ORourke told a group of Black supporters during a virtual event this week. Not only do I want to overturn this total abortion ban and ensure that every Texas woman makes her own decisions about her own body, her own future and her own health care, but I want to invest in connecting Black women with the kind of care that will ensure that they can survive their pregnancies, that they do not have to fear interactions with the medical community or with doctors.

Abbott is also talking about the issue, blasting ORourke as being in favor of abortions in any circumstance.

He not only believes in abortion to the very last minute before a fully developed child is given birth, but he was even against a law that would require a doctor to provide a medical care to a baby who soon survives abortion, Abbott said during a recording of Lone Star Politics, the Sunday political show produced by The Dallas Morning News and KXAS-TV (NBC 5).

In response to Abbotts charge, ORourkes campaign said, Beto has long supported the standard set by Roe v. Wade, which for half a century prohibited states from outlawing abortion in cases where the pregnancy threatened the life of the pregnant woman.

That standard allowed for women and their doctors to make this personal and often painful decision later in the pregnancy if the abortion was necessary to save the womans life.

ORourke has criticized Abbott for not supporting exceptions to the ban for rape and incest. Abbott says Texas is leading the way with alternatives for abortion, including emergency contraception.

While Texas Democrats would need an electoral sea change, Davis, the former state senator, said she hopes Garza would ignore or not enforce the states anti-abortion policies if elected. District attorneys in Dallas and other counties have said they dont plan to pursue charges against anyone under the abortion ban.

We need Rochelle Garza to sanction that statewide, Davis said.

Emilys List, a national group that backs women candidates who support abortion rights, is also backing Garza. The former civil rights lawyer has fought for the reproductive rights of migrant teens in detention. Paxton, who is also closely associated with the debate over abortion rights, is suing the Biden administration over federal rules requiring hospitals to provide abortions if the procedure is necessary to save a mothers life.

The Texas AGs race is such a clear example of the contrast, said Christina Reynolds, a spokesperson for Emilys List. You have a candidate in Rochelle Garza who has said that keeping Texans safe means ensuring that everyone has access to essential medical and health care procedures, which includes abortion. And then you have a candidate who literally is suing to block lifesaving abortion care when necessary for the health of the mother.

The reason for the close race could be a result of Paxtons legal problems, including a 2015 indictment on securities fraud charges and an FBI bribery investigation. Paxton has denied wrongdoing.

Abortion rights advocates remain hopeful Garza will gain momentum. But her latest campaign finance reports show $450,000 in her bank account, compared to Paxtons $3.5 million. Analysts say Garza, unknown to most Texans, needs at least $10 million to compete.

Seago, the Texas Right to Life president, said Paxton and other statewide Republicans wont suffer a backlash because of the Supreme Court decision.

Republicans have been talking about this issue nonstop for the last decade. It was the Democrats that avoided this topic, he said. Protecting life is always one of the top three (issues) and so this has always been a motivation for Texas voters.

All sides agree that November is just a continuation of what could be a decadeslong struggle.

Theres no way that you can reform Texas government in one quick election cycle, Rottinghaus said. Its going to be a very long battle.

Davis agreed.

Right now we have to get in the position where things dont get worse, she said.

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What can Texas Democrats do to restore abortion rights? - The Dallas Morning News

Fast forward three years and Fried is heading into Tuesdays Democratic primary for governor fighting for her political life against Rep. Charlie Crist, the former Republican Florida governor turned independent turned Democrat, who has decades of electoral experience.

Crist has outraised Fried, garnered more endorsements and managed to rally chunks of the traditional Democratic Party coalition to his side, including Floridas teachers union, the former head of the Democratic National Committee, environmental groups and Black faith leaders. Most polls show Crist leading Fried, including one that has Crist up by double digits.

Whoever advances through Tuesdays primary will take on Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis in November, and to many Democrats the stakes couldnt be higher. They accuse the governor of near-authoritarian rule and routinely point out that hes more concerned with a potential White House bid in 2024 than helping Florida residents gain access to affordable housing or fix the states crumbling insurance market.

Yet even the most hopeful Democrats are aware of the difficulty they face in November. DeSantis has more than $132.5 million in his campaign war chest and has amassed enormous power in the state Legislature, which routinely approves his priorities. The electoral landscape has also shifted in Republicans favor with the GOP overtaking Democrats in voter registration last fall for the first time in the states modern political history.

I know if I lose, the people lose, Fried said in a recent interview. I know what Im fighting for.

Some of Frieds supporters are perplexed that Crist is viewed as the frontrunner, especially after the Supreme Court in June struck down federal abortion protections enshrined in Roe v. Wade, an issue that helped propel abortion rights to the forefront of campaigns across the nation. Since the ruling, Fried has attempted to energize voters who are incensed by the landmark decision. She has also spent the past three years aggressively dogging DeSantis on issues from pandemic response to his focus on culture war issues.

Nothing against other Democratic candidates, and whoever wins we will all rally around them, but I strongly feel a good Jewish girl from Broward County against someone like Ron DeSantis is something I think would be a great matchup, said state Rep. Kelli Skidmore, a Boca Raton Democrat who has endorsed Fried.

Throughout the primary, 44-year-old Fried has painted the 66-year-old Crist as a Democrat in name only, highlighting positions he held as a Republican that are very much outside modern Democratic orthodoxy. Crist for months tried to stay above the fray, but in the final weeks of the primary started attacking Fried over her ties to the business lobby and other groups long thought of as Republican-leaning, including the states powerful sugar industry. Fried was a marijuana lobbyist before she won her 2018 race to become the states agriculture commissioner.

Ive gone accurate, retorted Crist, when asked last week about his attacks on Fried in the closing days. He then added: Shes decided to do what shes done. Everyone has their own style.

And many top Democrats say Crist won them over with his style and approach hes known as a happy warrior who tries to avoid going negative and is seen as the best candidate to take on DeSantis. Crist has tried to depict himself as someone who will unify Florida while accusing DeSantis of tearing apart the state.

My gut and my experience tells me Charlie has the best shot at blocking DeSantiss extremist agenda, said Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.), the former head of the Democratic National Committee and a longtime Democrat who has known Crist for 30 years.

For many Democrats, beating DeSantis is the top goal.

I think the litmus test for voters in this election is one question and one question only: Who is the best to beat Ron DeSantis, said Fernand Amandi, a Democratic pollster. Nikki was not able to answer that one question effectively, and Charlie has.

Throughout the primary, Crist methodically reached out to key constituencies for their backing, a move his campaign says helped build word of mouth and important support in what will likely be a low turnout race. Just a quarter of Democrats are expected to vote.

While Fried focused early on building up her profile on social media, particularly Twitter, Crist went on a charm offensive. He huddled with key blocks of the Democratic coalition and relied on them heavily when drawing up his policy positions. Crist whose evolution on issues such as abortion and gun control has been scrutinized by Fried took advice from those Democrats to change his stance on issues such as marijuana legalization, which he now favors. As a Republican governor, Crist signed into law bills that cracked down on marijuana grow houses and the sale of some smoking paraphernalia.

The strategy worked, and he picked up crucial endorsements from key lawmakers, such as state Sen. Shevrin Jones, a Black Miami-area Democrat who supported Fried early in the race.

It was a difficult decision for me because I have a relationship with Nikki, I was Team Nikki very early on, Jones said. But as the field opened up and I talked to people in my community, many local elected leaders were Team Charlie, and I found his message was resonating with these people on the ground.

Skidmore, the Broward County state representative backing Fried, said she thinks state Democrats missed an opportunity by not rallying behind someone they worked closely with in Tallahassee over the past few years to fight DeSantis.

There are those who think Crist has a better shot at beating Ron DeSantis, and we all want that, but I am just so bored of white guys running against white guys, Skidmore said. From a personal and professional and an extra X perspective, I just really want to support her.

A major turning point in the primary came when the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, sending a jolt of momentum through contests across the country. Both Crist and Fried, like other Democrats, tried to harness the political energy, but Fried was perceived to have received the biggest bump.

The Supreme Courts ruling resonated loudly in Florida, which just months earlier had approved a ban on abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy with no exceptions for rape or incest.

After Roe v. Wade, white women and suburban women who I talk to and thought would be in Charlies camp all of a sudden started to take a look at Nikki, said Brice Barnes, a Florida Democratic fundraiser. I do think after Roe v. Wade that you had women asking what does this mean for my daughter?

One of Frieds main lines of attack throughout the primary was Crists anti-abortion rights position while he was a Republican. As late as 2010, when making an unsuccessful bid for U.S. Senate, Crist said he supported pro-life legislative efforts. He has largely brushed off questions about his changing stance on the issue during the 2022 midterms and relied on the support of some of the states most vocal abortion-rights advocates, including state Rep. Anna Eskamani, an Orlando Democrat who previously worked for Planned Parenthood, and former Florida Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink, who made her own failed bid for governor in 2010.

Sink said she was wary of Crists record as a Republican even after he became a Democrat. But she said over the years Crist has won over many Democrats, which she says is why Frieds attacks on Crist over abortion rights and his having appointed conservative justices to the Florida Supreme Court as governor have not stuck.

In the race, he has gotten tangled up in the pro-life thing, and I appreciate that and acknowledge when he first became a Democrat I was skeptical and of the opinion you have to prove to me you can be a good Democrat, Sink said. But now he has been a Democrat so long, and has been 100 percent pro-choice over that time, that I think most Democrats are comfortable with him.

Sinks support of Crist over Fried is notable because she co-founded Ruths List Florida, a group that recruits and trains female political candidates who support abortion rights. Sink said she also supports Crist partly because his campaign seemed more viable, and she had a good working relationship with Crist when she served as the states chief financial officer during his one term as governor.

We have a long-standing relationship, and he has just always been very responsive to me, she said. I just did not develop that kind of personal relationship, even from a policy standpoint, with Nikki. That is what swayed me. I knew he was going to be able to build that big coalition needed.

Crists three decades in Florida politics, most spent as a Republican, brought him name recognition and a fundraising pipeline. But some Democrats see his perceived frontrunner status as evidence Fried didnt do enough to build a political network, which could have helped her create goodwill within the party and close the primary field.

Frieds campaign insists it can pull off an upset on Tuesday and have drained bank accounts in a frenzied push in the final moments. Some of those affiliated with Frieds campaign worked on Andrew Gillums 2018 bid for governor, when he surged in the closing week to score an upset in the Democratic primary. Gillum lost to DeSantis by about 35,000 votes.

Fried believes money will flow into her campaign on Aug. 24 if she wins the primary because her victory will be a shot in the arm that will attract national money and attention, she said in an interview at a recent campaign event. Fried also contended amid loud pushback from the Crist campaign that national donors will abandon the state if Crist wins.

During a campaign stop in Tallahassee last week, Fried said she had a lot more to lose than she did when she scored her upset win in 2018 to become the only Democrat elected to statewide office.

But she also acknowledged that she was surprised that Crist wound up being her primary opponent.

I didnt imagine in a million years that he would think that this would be a good time for him to re-run for governor. I dont know why hes in this race, she said in the interview. You talk to his own people, they dont think he can win in November. I have no idea why hes here. I know weve got a fighting chance.

Read more here:
She was Florida Dems' 'new hope.' Then a veteran pol stepped between her and DeSantis. - POLITICO