OnPolitics: How a 2022 hurricane could preview 2024 election as Biden visits Florida
Happy Wednesday, OnPolitics readers! It's Ella.
There's nothing like a Florida hurricane to whip up presidential politics, David Jackson writes.
Just a week after Hurricane Ian slammed into Florida, President Joe Biden is visiting the state today to assess recovery efforts and talk to affected families.
It also places him in proximity to a pair of potential 2024 re-election opponents: Former President Donald Trump and current Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Trump is giving a speech in which he will likely blast Biden – again – over issues that will animate the 2024 election, from inflation to border security.
Prep for the polls: See who is running for president and compare where they stand on key issues in our Voter Guide
Biden and DeSantis, meanwhile, are planning a low-key meeting over recovery efforts in the wake of the deadly storm that ripped through the middle of Florida, killing more than 100 state residents and causing millions of dollars in property damage.
Political echoes in a swing state: "As some people would say, the stars are aligned," said Susan MacManus, political science professor emerita at the University of South Florida.
The trio has been trading barbs all year, previewing a presidential race that could be unmatched in vitriol. Biden has said Trump and his political movement are "a threat to our very democracy," while Trump branded his 2020 vanquisher as an "enemy of the state."
Why it matters: Public officials’ handling of major disasters can be legacy-defining moments, which could have extra importance in the politically important state of Florida.
MacManus said she expects Biden and DeSantis to behave, as they have through the hurricane and clean-up, because that's what voters expect.
But Trump, as ever, is a "wild card," MacManus said, though attacks on Biden while he is visiting a stricken state could backfire.
🚨 Live from Florida: USA TODAY White House Correspondent Francesca Chambers is in Florida with Biden as part of the president's traveling press corps today. Read her live updates here.
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Top races to watch update:
It's Amy with the latest news on this year's midterm races.
Arizona's Senate race: The latest CBS poll shows that 51% of Arizona voters who responded to the survey would vote for Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly if the midterm election were held today, while 48% would vote for Trump-endorsed Republican candidate Blake Masters. Read more about what respondents had to say about key issues here.
More top races:2022 midterm elections: The most interesting Senate races to watch
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