Seven weeks before he squares off against Democrat Charlie Crist in November's election, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis boasted a series of tax breaks he is proposing to help families while knocking inflation he blamed on Crist's party.

The governor noted that the state granted $1.2 billion in tax relief for the current year with measures like a tax holiday on baby-related purchases like diapers and wipes. The plan is to continue this and do more in the coming year.

Governor Ron DeSantis’ (R-FL) political operation has raised a historic $177.4 million, more than any other governor in history, and that was before he sent 50 illegal immigrants to Martha’s Vineyard last week, which erupted into the top national news story.

Open Secrets reported that a review of state campaign finance records showed DeSantis’ re-election campaign has raised more than $31.4 million since January 2021, while DeSantis’ state-level PAC, Friends of Ron DeSantis, has raised $146 million since January 2019.

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist appears to have compared himself to Jesus Christ and Gov. Ron DeSantis to Satan at a campaign event in which he spoke about “decency.”

A video of the comments that was published on several social media channels surfaced from a volunteer kick-off event hosted by Pinellas County Democrats in March.

In his remarks, Crist said he’s fighting for freedom in Florida like Ukraine President Vlodymyr Zelensky. He described Zelensky as “amazing,” referring to his “courage, strength, and decency.”

U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist, the Democratic nominee for Florida governor, has committed to three televised debates in October, including the only one to be broadcast statewide, the Oct. 20 “Before You Vote” event that Gov. Ron DeSantis has turned down.

“I look forward to debating Ron DeSantis and holding him accountable for his extremist, anti-choice, billionaire donor agenda,” Crist said in a news release Monday. “If Ron DeSantis wants to take away more of our freedoms and rights, the least he can do is show up and tell Florida voters why.”

Charlie Crist is calling Gov. Ron DeSantis unfit for office after Florida delivered Venezuelan and Colombian migrants to Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts.

The Democratic gubernatorial nominee called a news conference one day after reporters confirmed that Florida flew immigrants who crossed the southern border to Martha’s Vineyard, a symbol of Democratic elites. DeSantis first voiced his intent to send immigrants who crossed the border illegally to Martha’s Vineyard and Delaware, the home state of President Joe Biden, in late 2021.

The number of Floridians who have died of COVID-19 passed 80,000 this month, another tragic milestone amid the latest wave that’s still killing as many as 400 state residents a week.

But as the race for governor enters its final stretch, the pandemic has barely played any role in the campaigns.

DeSantis’ “freedom” agenda celebrates the state’s lack of COVID restrictions. Democrat Charlie Crist’s attacks on DeSantis have focused on abortion rights and culture wars. COVID policy isn’t listed among the main issues on Crist’s campaign website.

On the menu today: Both the Republican Party and the Democratic Party have their share of celebrity candidates, but the Republicans’ celebrity candidates, if defeated, are likely to go away. The Democratic celebrity candidates of recent cycles keep demonstrating a peculiar ability to turn their failures into greater fame and continue to reappear on the national stage.

The Curse of the Celebrity Candidate

Fresh polling shows Gov. Ron DeSantis with only a 3-percentage-point lead over Democratic challenger Charlie Crist.

Liberal groups Progress Florida and Florida Watch published polling modeled on a Republican-leaning Midterm electorate and found DeSantis leading with 48% to Crist’s 45%. That closely matches findings for a generic ballot test showing 48% of voters feel inclined to vote Republican in the midterms and 45% intend to vote Democratic.

Before California Gov. Gavin Newsom attacked Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in a campaign ad, his in-laws donated money to DeSantis’ campaign through a trust they control, campaign finance records show.

Both governors are running for their second term and are favored to win reelection. Both have been identified by political pundits as a potential presidential matchup, especially after Newsom launched his first campaign ad for reelection attacking DeSantis instead of his Republican opponent in California.

Rep. Charlie Crist is resigning from Congress to focus on his bid for Florida governor, a move that was expected after his huge primary victory over Democratic Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried.

The seat will remain vacant until the November election.

Crist (D-Fla.) was first elected to the St. Petersburg-based seat in 2016 and has since been re-elected twice. He is now running against Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has more than $130 million in the bank and is seen as a heavy favorite in the race.