Crist’s running mate is a teachers union leader who slammed parents attending school board meetings

Florida Democratic gubernatorial nominee Charlie Crist, claiming that he is putting education at the forefront of his campaign, ironically chose the president of the Miami-Dade County teachers union to be his running mate.

Somehow, Crist, a Republican turned Democrat, believes this strategy will win him votes in the Sunshine State as he attempts to defeat an unstoppable Gov. Ron DeSantis in November.

Crist announced United Teachers of Dade President Karla Hernandez-Mats as his running mate on Saturday in Miami according to Fox News.

“This guy’s the opposite of freedom,” Crist said taking a cheap, dishonest shot at DeSantis. “We are for real freedom. Freedom for all of you.”

“I’m excited to introduce to you a wonderful person,” he declared. “Karla is an amazing person. She really is.”

Crist went on to call her a “loving” and “compassionate” teacher, “You know her, I love her, meet the next lieutenant governor of Florida, Karla Hernandez.”

He seems to have forgotten how rabid she was when it came to parents attending school board meetings and objecting to Critical Race Theory, masks, and other things.

Hernandez-Mats was shredded by Floridians last October when she shared a tweet comparing parents who attend school board meetings to serial killers, including Freddy Krueger from the horror film franchise “Nightmare on Elm Street” and Jason Voorhees from the classic “Friday the 13th” films.

“For any of you following the school board meetings, you know that the craziness is real. God be with us,” she tweeted.

“Are you tired of the culture wars and the extremists that are dictating what we can’t say and do?” Hernandez-Mats hypocritically asked onstage. “Are you sick of politicians who act like authoritarians trying to tear apart our democracy? … That’s why we are here today. To defeat Ron DeSantis and bring decency and respect back to the state of Florida.”

“I am so honored to be joining this team, the winning ticket,” she declared. “It’s the opportunity of a lifetime to fight next to Charlie as your next lieutenant governor.”

“It’s been dark, but we’re gonna bring the sunshine back” to Florida, she proclaimed.

Hernandez-Mats calls herself a “proud union member.”

“Everything is on the ballot this November,” she asserted. “If you care about freedoms and you care about women’s freedom to choose and have autonomy over their body, I need you to vote. If you care about protecting people’s freedom and making sure they have access to vote, I need you to take a friend and go out and vote.”

Hernandez-Mats has blasted DeSantis’ attempt to re-open schools during the pandemic and insisted that schools should not be re-opened until “the safety of our community is secured.”

“The notion that reopening our schools is an option because ‘if you’re younger, it just hasn’t had an impact’ is not only completely contradictory to what we know to be the facts of this pandemic, it is dangerous for our communities at large,” Hernandez-Mats said in 2020 regarding DeSantis’ remarks, according to NBC 6 South Florida.

“Pacing guides are arbitrary, you are the education professional that knows what your students need,” she wrote in response to a concerned teacher. “If you go too fast they may fall farther behind, get demoralized, & heighten their stress.”

The union leader has also savaged opponents of the misnomered “Don’t Say Gay” law, which prohibits lessons on sexual orientation and gender identity to young children.

Crist is a big Biden fan and would love for the president to campaign with him in Florida.

“Look at what he’s — President Biden — done for our country. He’s been exceptional,” he laughingly asserted. “Look what he’s done for the world… what’s happening in Ukraine, him bringing NATO together, new members to NATO – Finland, Sweden. It’s remarkable. What other president could’ve done what he’s done? He’s been phenomenal. Gas prices are down. Inflation is trending down. Democracy is trending up.”

“He’s the most arrogant governor I’ve ever seen in my life. It is shocking, it really is. Enough is enough,” Crist said of his opponent, according to The Guardian. “He’s a barbaric, wannabe dictator.”

“Karla Hernández is a mom with two kids in Florida’s public schools, a first-generation American of Honduran descent, a teacher who has partnered with parents and her community to strengthen Florida’s public schools, and a tireless advocate for ensuring every student has the opportunity to grow into their brilliance,” National Education Association President Becky Pringle said in a statement, according to Florida Politics.

“She understands that Florida’s families want the Sunshine State’s leaders to focus on solving the real problems impacting families, including the cost of housing, solving educator shortages so every student can get the one-on-one support they need, and keeping weapons of war out of our schools and off our streets,” she continued.

“For the last four years, Ron DeSantis has failed Florida’s students, parents, and educators,” Pringle charged. “He continues to underfund our public schools while using our most venerable students as pawns in his culture wars.”

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