Governor Ron DeSantis has established a new political committee, the Florida Freedom Fund to specifically defeat two ballot initiatives that are up for a vote this November: marijuana legalization and expanding abortion access.
Launched quietly last month, noted Politico, the new committee is chaired by James Uthmeier, DeSantis' chief of staff and former campaign manager when he ran for president.
This move comes as DeSantis seeks to reassert himself in Florida politics following his unsuccessful run for president after which his popularity dipped.
In fact, a recent Fox News poll showed that the cannabis legalization amendment was more popular than DeSantis and that two-thirds of Florida voters, including a majority of Republicans, supported legalization.
One would think this news might compel the governor to rethink the wisdom of actively campaigning against legal cannabis, that is of course if one believes in the "if you can't beat ‘em, join ‘em" theory.
The Florida Freedom Fund’s Goal
"As Gov. Ron DeSantis continues to lead our great state, the Florida Freedom Fund will be championing issues and candidates committed to preserving Floridians' freedom," stated DeSantis' spokesperson Taryn Fenske. "From up and down ballot races to critical amendments, we're steadfast in our mission to keep Florida free."
DeSantis also committed to raising funds for Donald Trump, who was convicted on felony charges in May.
DeSantis says he’ll organize fundraising events in other states. Though, according to the outlet, he does not foresee extensive campaigning for Trump within Florida, implying that the state is unlikely to be a battleground for Democrats. However, a recent Fox News poll indicated that Trump leads President Biden by slim four points, which is slightly above the poll’s margin of error of plus or minus three percentage points.
The same poll revealed strong support for both ballot initiatives, with 69% of registered voters favoring the abortion access measure and 66% backing the marijuana legalization initiative. For Florida initiatives to pass, they must receive at least 60% of the vote.
DeSantis has condemned both measures as "radical" and "extreme," predicting that voters will ultimately reject them and that he’ll work to scuttle both. However, there has been no organized opposition to either initiative thus far, a situation the new political committee intends to address.
Meanwhile, Smart & Safe Florida, the advocacy group behind the marijuana initiative has already launched several TV ads promoting the yes vote.
Now Read: German Company Launches Largest Digital Platform For Medical Cannabis In All Europe
Photo: Shutterstock
© 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
