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Nikki Haley’s campaign is out with a new video the day before the third GOP presidential debate, criticizing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on energy policy and using a clip from one of their previous meetings.
The nearly two-minute spot begins with Haley stating DeSantis is, “against fracking, against drilling” in a prior Republican debate, as DeSantis responds the allegations are “not true.”
The ad then plays several clips of DeSantis stating during his time as Florida governor that he opposes offshore drilling and touting policies against fracking. The ad ends with a voter asking the Florida Governor if he supports a ban on fracking, to which he replies, “Yeah.”
In Jan. 2019, DeSantis signed an executive order on his second day in office that said his office would “take necessary actions to adamantly oppose all off-shore oil and gas activities off every coast in Florida and hydraulic fracturing in Florida.”
Florida law prohibits “drilling for exploration or extraction of oil or natural gas” on lands “beneath all state waters which have not been alienated and that lie between the mean high water line and the outermost boundaries of the state’s territorial seas,” based on a 2018 constitutional amendment approved by Florida voters. DeSantis has noted the constitutional amendment on the trail in the past.
In a statement, DeSantis press secretary Bryan Griffin said, "Desperate candidates need to get their facts straight.
"When he took office, the governor committed to protecting the Everglades while accelerating energy exploration and production across the state," Griffin continued. "Furthermore, an overwhelming number of Floridians voted to enact a constitutional amendment to limit offshore drilling prior to Governor DeSantis taking office. That is the law in Florida based on the will of the voters."
The pro-DeSantis super PAC also noted that Haley said at a town hall event that she supports states being able to decide whether or not to allow offshore drilling.
The video represents the latest piece of an escalating conflict between DeSantis and Haley. Over the last few weeks, both campaigns have launched attacks against each other as the candidates spar to be the top alternative to former President Donald Trump in the fight for the Republican presidential nomination.
According to recent polling, Haley’s campaign has made inroads. An October NBC News/Des Moines Register/Mediacom poll of Iowa shows DeSantis and Haley tied for second at 16% behind former President Trump’s 43%.