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Gov. Ron DeSantis continues to advocate for debates among leading gubernatorial candidates, arguing they deserve a platform sanctioned by the Republican Party of Florida.
“I think you should have debates. I think that’s important. This is a difficult state to get known in. And to be able to be broadcast where people can kind of see these candidates, oftentimes for the first time, can be very valuable,” DeSantis said in Bradenton.
While 11 Republicans have qualified for the Governor’s race, only four have been treated as major candidates by the media: Lt. Gov. Jay Collins, U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds, James Fishback, and former House Speaker Paul Renner.
Of those candidates, only Donalds has met the “10/10/10” thresholds the state party set for a debate. That includes 10% support in the party’s internal poll, $10 million in contributions, and 10,000 individual donors.
“If you’re going to say other candidates can’t do any other debate but our debate, well, you’ve definitely got to do the debate, right? So it has not been, I think, done properly,” DeSantis said. “Voters can make decisions about how they think of all that.”
DeSantis has rejected the criteria for weeks now. He said it was “ridiculous” that the party didn’t want the “candidates to mix it up.” He also said Saturday’s “Sunshine State Showdown” offered a “great opportunity” to have candidates face off.
“People signed up thinking that they’d have this debate. And they said no candidate can do any other debate except our debate,” DeSantis said.
“And then they say, ‘Oh, well, only one guy can debate. So we’re not going to have a debate.’ I mean, I think people feel that that’s a bait and switch. And the party’s job is not to try to engineer an outcome. The party’s job is to, you know, inform Republican voters and try to increase participation.”
As he has before, DeSantis credited in his remarks Wednesday his June 2018 debate with former Agriculture Secretary Adam Putnam as galvanizing support in his direction. Yet he omitted the importance of President Donald Trump’s endorsement in lifting him from congressional obscurity to parity with a statewide official.
Trump is with Donalds this cycle.
Donalds has rejected calls for debates that would only “elevate” struggling opponents, noting that he has majority support in polls with other candidates in single digits.
Despite his bluster, DeSantis doesn’t seem to believe any Donalds alternative can win.
Asked Wednesday if anyone had enough time to catch up to the front-runner, DeSantis told the reporter to “ask political people about that.”
The also-ran candidates can’t seem to come together for unsanctioned debates, which compounds the problem. Collins says he will only debate if Donalds is on stage.
The post Ron DeSantis urges GOP gubernatorial debates because Florida is a ‘difficult state to get known in’ appeared first on Florida Politics – Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government..
