Florida party chairs weigh in ahead of Thursday’s presidential debate

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Thursday night, President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump will face off on the debate stage for the first time this election cycle.

>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<

It will be the first time voters have had a chance to see the two political rivals duke it out face-to-face since October 2020.

[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]

Trump will come into the debate fresh off his felony conviction in the Stormy Daniels hush money case, while President Biden has been trailing in the polls since last fall.

For both candidates, Thursday’s debate will provide an opportunity to gain some momentum and set a course towards victory in November.

Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried argued so long as President Biden conveys his accomplishments effectively, he’ll come out the clear winner.

READ: Supreme Court sides with White House in social media post removal case

“We now have one of the best economic recoveries across the entire world, inflation is coming down, more Americans have gone to work and we are seeing the trends across the country on issues that matter to the American people,” said Fried.

Florida GOP Chair Evan Power on the other hand, argued if Trump is able to draw a clear contrast between life under his administration compared to the current day, he’ll score a decisive victory.

“Show his record and how it worked for four years compared to Joe Biden’s failed agenda that has left the boarder open, made us unsafe and has left the world on fire,” said Power.

READ: Supreme Court mistakenly posts draft opinion in Idaho abortion case online

Fried noted the debate is important for the State of Florida in particular, pointing to a recent poll showing Biden only down four points in the Sunshine State and the Biden campaign’s recent investments in the state.

“If we can fight back the narrative and fight back the extremism here, you can do it everywhere else across the country. They get that message, which is why Florida is in play,” said Fried.

But Power argued voter registration trends tell a different story.

“We won the state by 3.3 percent in 2020. Now, with a million plus Republican voters we’re gonna win Florida and we’re gonna win it big,” said Power.

The debate kicks off Thursday night at 9 PM.

You can watch it on both CBS 47 and FOX 30.

[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]

Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.