Florida's gubernatorial race is getting messy despite President Donald Trump's early endorsement of a favored candidate.
The president's endorsement of MAGA loyalist Rep. Byron Donalds (R-LF) didn't clear the Republican field quite as expected, and the GOP primary is turning into something like a proxy battle between Trump and outgoing Gov. Ron DeSantis – with some wild cards lurking on the fringes, reported Politico.
"Donalds has every reason to expect a glide path to the nomination: He’s got Trump behind him, support from many top state Republicans, millions in his campaign accounts and a steady presence on Fox News. Polls show him far out in front of other GOP hopefuls," Politico reported. "But instead of the field collapsing, Donalds is drawing in new challengers with sharper attacks — including allies of term-limited DeSantis."
DeSantis has not yet backed any of Donalds' rivals, but his recent choice for lieutenant governor, Jay Collins, appears ready to enter the race, and Republicans believe the governor does not want the MAGA lawmaker to succeed him.
“He just knows he doesn’t want Byron to be governor, but there isn’t a solid plan to stop him,” said one longtime Republican consultant familiar with the governor’s thinking.
Investor and online provocateur James Fishback jumped into the race in recent days, but Trump allies like Alex Bruesewitz called him a “total scam artist" and Collins has already had supportive ads go up on air paid for by a mysterious group called “Florida Fighters.”
“We are going to roll out our decision here soon, so stay tuned," Collins said. "I’m tired of politicians thinking it’s about them. It’s about their ego. This isn’t about me. It’s about we. You need to take time to really look at a race like this. This is 23.5 million people that we get to represent.”
Collins is still playing coy about his intentions, but former state House Speaker Paul Renner has also entered the race despite DeSantis calling the decision “ill-advised.”
“I think I am a viable alternative, and in the end, we’re going to win,” Renner said at an event earlier this week.
Renner has not taken direct shots at Donalds like Fishback and Collins have, but the suddenly crowded GOP primary is shaping up into a test of Trump's enduring influence over the party.
“This race remains Byron’s to lose, and I don’t see anything on the horizon to change that,” said a GOP consultant.
Donalds remains comfortably ahead in recent polling – sitting at 41 percent support compared to low single digits for his would-be challengers – but 51 percent of likely GOP voters remain undecided.
“I don’t know what any of these people are thinking,” said Rep. Randy Fine (R-FL), who is backing Donalds. “The base loves him. … He has the most powerful endorsement in the history of politics, President Trump. I guess now he has a fourth advantage: a nine-month head start.”
