Florida Democrats are releasing their first attack ad against Republican nominee Ron DeSantis, charging that he favors letting insurance companies deny coverage to people with pre-existing conditions like cancer.
The new TV commercial from the Florida Democratic Party blisters the Republican congressman’s participation in efforts to strike down and replace the Affordable Care Act with its pre-existing conditions coverage requirement. It concludes with a quote the media attributes to DeSantis, that people with cancer who could not get health insurance should “show up to the emergency room” for treatment.
The commercial does not mention Democratic gubernatorial nominee Andrew Gillum except in the fine-print disclosure at the end.
The 30-second spot “Everybody” begins running in major media markets Tuesday. It launches as Gillum, the Tallahassee Mayor, turns the focus of his message this week to health care issues, including health care insurance coverage.
DeSantis’s campaign was not immediately available Tuesday to comment on it.
The ad officially is a “three-pack” ad, through which the state party is promoting three of its candidates, Gillum, Florida Chief Financial Officer nominee Jeremy Ring, and Florida Agriculture Commissioner nominee Nikki Fried.
Nonetheless, the ad was announced and promoted Tuesday morning by Gillum’s gubernatorial campaign.
Along the way the ad cites Time magazine, the AARP and CNN to back up its message that DeSantis opposes requiring insurance companies to provide coverage to people with pre-existing conditions.
“How can DeSantis lead Florida when he leaves Floridians behind?” the narrator concludes.