This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

Ron DeSantis, the Republican candidate for governor in Florida, resigned from Congress on Monday.

As Trump stokes racial tensions, black candidates have breakthrough year Read more

DeSantis sent a letter to the House speaker, Paul Ryan, announcing his immediate resignation, dated retroactively to 1 September. The north-east Florida politician, who represents a district near Jacksonville, said he would be spending time campaigning and it would therefore be “inappropriate” to accept a salary.

The Republican governor, Rick Scott, is leaving office due to term limits and is running for the US Senate against the Democrat Bill Nelson. DeSantis is locked in a tight battle to replace him, against the Democratic nominee, Andrew Gillum. According to the realclearpolitics.com poll average, the Tallahassee mayor has a 2.5% lead.

Gillum upset several other Democratic nominees in the 28 August primary and has garnered national attention. In the immediate aftermath of his win, he has raised more money than DeSantis.

DeSantis attracted adverse publicity when he told voters not to “monkey … up” the state’s economic progress by electing Gillum, an African American and progressive who is backed by national leftwing figures including Bernie Sanders and Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez. Gillum would be the first black governor of Florida.

DeSantis, who has been endorsed by Donald Trump, denied the comment was racist.

Gillum said his opponent should be “careful” with his language.

Play Video 0:46 'Don't monkey this up': Republican hopeful for Florida governor accused of using racial slur – video

The contest has been dogged by questions of race and racism. The day after Gillum’s primary win, a white supremacist group in the state sent out robocalls containing impersonations of Gillum and deeply offensive language.

DeSantis condemned the calls.

On Sunday night, the Washington Post reported that he spoke at four events hosted by David Horowitz, a controversial academic who “has said that African Americans owe their freedom to white people and that the country’s ‘only serious race war’ is against whites”.

A spokeswoman for DeSantis told the Post: “He appreciates those who support his efforts and is happy to be judged on his record. He does not, though, buy into this ‘six degrees of Kevin Bacon’ notion that he is responsible for the views and speeches of others.”



