In Florida, Republican Governor Ron DeSantis faced off against Democratic challenger Charlie Crist Monday for their first and only debate ahead of November’s election. DeSantis refused to say whether he would serve a full four-year term if reelected in November, adding to speculation that he’ll compete for the Republican Party’s presidential nomination in 2024. Meanwhile, Charlie Crist blasted DeSantis over his anti-scientific views on gender, climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Charlie Crist: “Ron, I wouldn’t pat yourself on the back too much about your response to COVID. We’ve lost 82,000 of our fellow Floridians. And when you look at the Thanksgiving table, one of those empty seats is probably one of those people for many families watching tonight. And if we had only had the standard of other states in the United States, 40,000 of those people would still be alive, enough to fill Tropicana Stadium in St. Petersburg. That’s tragic.”

Crist served a four-year term as governor of Florida beginning in 2007, when he was elected on the Republican ticket. He later switched party affiliations to become a Democrat. 

In Pennsylvania, Democrat John Fetterman and Republican Mehmet Oz are set to meet this evening for their first and only debate for an open U.S. Senate seat. We’ll get the latest on the U.S. midterm elections after headlines.