|
The
White House said on Sunday that Biden will travel to Fort
Lauderdale, Florida on Nov. 1 to attend a reception for Crist, a
former governor and member of Congress who is trailing in polls
behind the popular Republican incumbent.
Biden and DeSantis have publicly played nice with each other in
recent weeks in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian. During a joint
appearance on a trip to survey storm damage in Florida, Biden
said the two leaders had worked "hand-in-glove."
But the differences between them are stark. And both men could
potentially be rivals in 2024 if Biden runs for re-election,
which he has indicated he intends to do, and if DeSantis runs
for the Republican nomination and succeeds in beating back
former President Donald Trump, who is mulling a comeback bid.
DeSantis is popular in the Republican Party and has clashed with
Biden on multiple policy issues including COVID-19 vaccines,
immigration, and abortion rights.
The president's embrace of Crist and his attempt to boost him in
the late stages of the campaign could be a sign that Democrats
have not given up on hopes of toppling DeSantis in his home
state. It could also reflect an effort to let Biden make a more
muscular argument against a man who is a likely presidential
hopeful.
Biden just completed a western travel swing in which he sought
to boost Democrat Tina Kotek, who is running in a tight race for
governor in Oregon. Control of the U.S. House of Representatives
and Senate is at stake in the November midterm elections, but
state elections and governors' races are also being closely
watched for their potential policy impacts on abortion and
voting rights.
Biden will travel to Philadelphia on Thursday to participate in
a reception for John Fetterman, Pennsylvania's lieutenant
governor and Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate.
Fetterman is running against television doctor Mehmet Oz, the
Republican candidate, in one of the more high-profile Senate
races. The current Senate is split 50-50 between Democrats and
Republicans, with Vice President Kamala Harris able to break a
tie and give control of the upper chamber to the Democratic
Party.
(Reporting by Jeff Mason; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Stephen
Coates)
[© 2022 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2022 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.
|
|
