Florida Governor Ron DeSantis slammed California for its prolonged ballot-counting process, which continues weeks after Election Day, potentially narrowing the Republican majority in the U.S. House of Representatives.
DeSantis specifically pointed to California Republican incumbents Reps. Michelle Steel and John Duarte, who saw their early leads shrink as late-arriving ballots favored Democrats.
“We are on the eve of Thanksgiving and California still hasn’t finished counting votes,” DeSantis wrote on X Wednesday. “Post-election day ballot ‘dumps’ continue to net Democrat votes over two GOP incumbents. This may reduce the Republican majority in the US House to a razor-thin 220-215. What a farce.”
Shortly after DeSantis’s statement, Steel conceded defeat in California’s 45th Congressional District.
This criticism continues DeSantis’s long-standing rivalry with California Governor Gavin Newsom, marked by a high-profile debate on Fox News a year ago. The debate, a red-state-versus-blue-state showdown, showcased DeSantis attacking California’s policies while Newsom defended Democratic leadership.
DeSantis scored a viral moment during the debate by highlighting San Francisco’s homelessness crisis, using a “poop map” to illustrate locations of public defecation across the city. Newsom, however, quipped in response, “Neither of us will be the nominee for our party in 2024.”
The rivalry between the two governors has fueled speculation about their political futures. While DeSantis campaigned unsuccessfully for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024, Newsom was briefly in the spotlight before Vice President Kamala Harris secured the Democratic nomination after President Joe Biden stepped aside.
Both governors will reach the end of their terms in 2026 due to term limits, potentially setting the stage for a renewed rivalry in the 2028 presidential race. DeSantis’s latest remarks may be an early salvo in what could become a long-running political feud.
