If the special election this week in state Senate District 40 proved anything, it’s that Donald Trump has become political poison for Republican candidates.
It’s not surprising then that the Florida Democratic Party (FDP) is doubling down on its effort to link Rick Baker to the president as St. Petersburg’s mayoral race enters the final stretch.
The FDP is out with a new ad that slams Baker and Trump for “refusing to act on climate change,” while highlighting Mayor Rick Kriseman‘s leadership on the issue.
“Florida can’t afford climate change deniers like Rick Baker and Donald Trump.,” said Florida Democratic Party spokesperson Johanna Cervone. “Politicians like Rick Baker will keep their heads in the sand on climate change if it means more campaign cash.”
St. Petersburg’s mayoral race is officially non-partisan, but the battle of the two Ricks has been a decidedly partisan affair.
Last month’s primary election resulted in a virtual tie, even though Kriseman trailed Baker — a former mayor who remained immensely popular — in money and polls throughout the campaign. Both candidates received about 48 percent of the vote, forcing a November runoff because neither topped 50 percent.
Democratic and Republican strategists blamed Baker‘s slide on Trump.
Baker‘s campaign tried to link Kriseman to a variety of divisive local issues, including a kerfuffle over the replacement of an iconic waterfront pier, a massive sewage link and a pricey new police station.
While those topics may have resonated for many voters, Democratic and Republican political consultants maintained that what likely hurt Baker the most was the Kriseman team’s success in tying Baker to Trump.
Strategists cautioned against overstating the broader significance of Kriseman’s comeback.
“But it should be a warning sign. It should be an alert signal. It should cause Republicans to ask themselves, how could a guy who was so beloved in this community (Baker) not be able to turn that on again,” Republican strategist Rick Wilson said.
Material from the News Service of Florida was used in this post.
