The choice of the teacher's union boss as Crist's running mate puts education issues front and center in one of the most closely watched races in the country.
Crist picked the president of the United Teachers of Dade to be on his ticket. In 2010 she was named Florida's "Teacher of the Year" and is the daughter of Honduran immigrants.
One of his strongest cases for reelection is his education policy. The governor decided to reopen schools during the Pandemic in the fall of 2020.
Many blue states followed suit as they realized that school closings did more harm than good. There is a lot of speculation that he will run for president in 2024 because of the coverage over the school reopenings clash.
In the past, Hernndez-Mats has clashed with DeSantis and has implemented mask mandates. She didn't like school reopenings and thought they should have remained virtual. During a press conference with reporters on Saturday, Hernndez-Mats said that she had not been wrong and took credit for the fact that school reopenings weren't linked with increased deaths of children with learning disabilities.
She said that they have always been in favor of opening schools. We wanted to make sure our schools opened with the right precautions so that we could protect our kids and protect the people that work with children.
—Karla Hernández (@KarlaforFlorida) October 8, 2020
Crist said in his speech that he couldn't find similar qualities in his opponent. Crist has used his experience as a legislator and unifier.
According to Anna Fusco, the best choice he could have made was Hernndez-Mats.
She said that the message was that you don't know what you're talking about and that we would make it right again. It's a message to get out of the way because education is the core of our country and our state. We're going to make Florida what it used to be.
Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, has been compared by the Republican National Committee.
Julia Friedland said that Hernndez-Mats was the perfect fit for the anti- parents campaign.
In an email to reporters, the RNC called Crist a lockdown lover.
Jeanette Nuez will remain on the ticket for reelection. Nuez is bilingual in Spanish and English.
During his time in office, DeSantis has moved to restrict school practices on race, gender, and sexual orientation. The phrase "parental rights" has been used in the past to advocate for parents to have more say in how their children are educated.
The chair of the Florida Democratic Party said in an interview that banning books doesn't do anything for children.
There are some signs that his positions on education are supported. The campaign believes that people embrace the governor's education agenda because 25 of them were either elected or advanced during Tuesday's primary.
The voters who supported the school board candidates need more education about what's happening in the schools.
Crist has promised to make the position of education commissioner an elected position, to increase teacher pay, and to declare a teacher shortage emergency if he is elected.
The average teacher salary in Florida is 48th in the nation according to the National Education Association.
During her acceptance speech on Saturday, Hernndez-Mats bashed her opponent.
She asked her supporters if they were tired of the culture wars and extremists that were controlling what they could say and do. Are you sick of politicians who try to destroy our democracy? We are here to defeat Ron DeSantis and bring decency and respect to the state of Florida.
Crist and Hernndez-Mats taught at the middle school. The city of Hialeah has the highest percentage of Cuban and Cuban American residents in the US.
Hernndez-Mats has never held elected office. She was criticized for a 2016 message in which she said many people in Cuba were grieving the death of Castro.
Nuez was asked to explain the statement on Saturday.
When Castro died, I was out in the streets with pots and pans, banging them and celebrating with the rest of my coworkers and my neighbors.
Crist is trying to get his old job back. He served as Florida's education commissioner from 2000 to 2000 and as governor from 2007 to 2011.
Crist said, "We want actual freedom for the people of Florida because he talks about, 'We're the freest state in the country.' If you're a woman, an African American, or a senior citizen, you won't be able to vote by mail.
Crist picked her and she said she was ready to work.
She said it's part of the American dream. I am from the first generation of Americans. My parents are immigrants and to think that these opportunities could be offered to me is what the United States is about.
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