How Crist, DeSantis Handle Inflation Is Top Voter Priority: USF Survey

FLORIDA — With this week's expiration of the Florida month-long gas tax holiday implemented by Gov. Ron DeSantis, rising gas prices and inflation are once again on the minds of Floridians as they vote in the Nov. 8 election.

To use a phrase coined by former President Bill Clinton's strategist, James Carville, in 1991, "It's the economy, stupid."

Despite widespread publicity surrounding the Florida's gubernatorial candidates' philosophical differences over LGBTQ and abortion rights, protecting the nation's borders, the so-called Stop Woke Act and critical race theory, researchers at the University of South Florida said the results of the governor's race will inevitably come down to the bottom line for voters.

The choice between Gov. Ron DeSantis and Democratic challenger and former governor Charlie Crist will hinge on who is to blame for having to pay $3.38 a gallon at the gas pump and $2.40 for a loaf of bread at the grocery store and which candidate will help keep a roof over their heads.

In a statewide public opinion survey, USF researchers found that nearly three-quarters (73 percent) of those surveyed said “pocketbook issues” are more important to them than “social values issues” at the ballot box.

Related: DeSantis, Rubio, Moody Ahead In University Of North Florida Poll

In the USF survey, voters gave DeSantis a 52 percent favorable rating to Crist's 31 percent.

And when asked to identify the issues that will have the most impact on how they vote, more than half (52 percent) said inflation.

The divergence between DeSantis and Crist concerning the economy became apparent during the candidates' sole debate on Oct. 24.

DeSantis maintained that rising gas prices are the direct result of President Joe Biden's energy policies, including his efforts to fight climate change by halting new federal leases for oil and natural gas, policies that Crist endorsed.

Crist put the blame on DeSantis, saying a gas tax holiday during the month of October was an empty gesture that smacked of political grandstanding just before the Nov. 8 election.

He said if DeSantis was serious about reducing gas prices, he would have cut the gas tax permanently.

“DeSantis won’t do it, but I will,” Crist said. “We need to have a governor who will do what’s right for the people of Florida all the time, all year long, not just when it’s right before re-election.

With the war in Ukraine and oil companies reaping record profits, Crist said DeSantis' refusal to lower state gas taxes, used to pay for transportation projects, was devastating to Floridians facing rising rents and property insurance increases.

"Summer was a nightmare for working Floridians at the pump," he said. "You're now paying an extra 25 cents per gallon from DeSantis’ gas tax. Florida families are getting crunched by rent, insurance, power bills and gas — and Ron is making it worse. We can't afford four more years."

DeSantis said he's done more to lift Florida's economy than any governor in recent years, including signing a House bill last legislative session that gave Floridians more than $1.2 billion in tax relief by approving 10 sales tax holidays.

“Florida’s economy has consistently outpaced the nation, but we are still fighting against inflationary policies imposed on us by the Biden administration,” DeSantis said. “The Florida House’s tax package is the largest middle-class tax relief package in the history of the state."

In addition to the gas tax holiday, the bill provided a year-long holiday on baby diapers, clothes and shoes, energy-efficient appliances, and impact-resistant windows and doors.

Additionally, DeSantis said he plans to ask the Legislature to give frequent toll road users a 50 percent monthly credit and make necessities for infants, including diapers and formula, permanently tax-free.

“We have the fifth-lowest gas prices in the country right now because we did do a gas tax holiday. We’re proud of that,” DeSantis said.

While DeSantis may not be responsible for global inflation, Crist contends the governor did little to ease the burden on Floridians, focusing instead on waging culture wars and traveling around the country in a yet-undeclared bid for the presidency.

“If you’re fed up every time you fill up, or ticked off every time you pick up groceries, well maybe it’s time you had a governor focused on you," Crist said. "Good luck buying a home. Good luck renting an apartment. That is because Gov. DeSantis has taken his eye off the ball. He's focused on running for president in 2024."

DeSantis was quick to counter that thousands of people wouldn't be moving to Florida if the economy is as bleak as Crist portrays it. The governor said it was his refusal to allow the pandemic to shut down businesses that kept Florida economically stable while the rest of the country faltered.

"That would not have happened if Charlie Crist had his way," DeSantis said. "He wrote me a letter in 2020 saying that 'you need to shut down the state of Florida; you need to have people shelter in their homes.' That would have destroyed the state of Florida. That would have caused our tourism industry to go in the toilet, it would have locked out millions of kids from school. I rejected Charlie Crist's lockdown letter. I kept this state open, and I kept this state free."

DeSantis, moreover, said Floridians only have to look at Florida's unemployment rate to see the results of his fiscal policies.

In September, Florida's unemployment rate dropped to 2.5 percent, the second-lowest rate in the state's recorded history and the lowest rate since October 2006, he said.

DeSantis said Florida also had the second-fastest gross domestic product growth in the nation, growing at an annual rate of 1.6 percent in the second quarter of 2022 while the national GDP has declined for two consecutive quarters.

“Florida’s economy continues to outpace the national average. Floridians are finding jobs, and our state’s businesses are thriving," he said. “With inflation still surging due to federal policies and with Southwest Florida recovering from Hurricane Ian, Florida has maintained sound fiscal and economic policies that will help us mitigate these challenges.”

Additionally, 69 percent of respondents said they disapprove of the way Biden is handling inflation.

The survey included a representative sample of 600 Floridians, fielded Oct. 14-23, 2022. Results are reported with a confidence level of 95 percent and a margin of error -4 percent.

See the complete survey results here.