DeSantis clashes with Florida GOP over the lack of a gubernatorial debate

The Republican Party of Florida (RPOF) says only U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds, who’s been endorsed by President Donald Trump, has met the qualifications for a debate.

Gov. Ron DeSantis disagrees with the decision: "It's counterproductive when you try to engineer an outcome, because you need a coalition of voters to do well, and this may be a tough cycle for Republicans,” he said during a press conference last week.

Then, over the weekend, he went so far as to accuse Evan Power, the state party chair, of “insulting the intelligence of Republican voters.”

Aubrey Jewett, a University of Central Florida political science professor, said it’s an unusual dynamic, since governors are generally considered the de facto leader of their state parties.

Republican Party of Florida

"They don't run it on a day-to-day basis, but they are the person that usually has the most influence, and so the fact that DeSantis is really pushing the party to have this debate at the same time the party's sort of resisting, is sort of an interesting political situation in and of itself,” Jewett said.

In a statement to news outlets, Donalds’ campaign said there's "no participation trophies in politics."

“It is not Byron’s job to legitimize campaigns that have failed to gain meaningful support," said Gates McGavick, Donalds' communications director.

ALSO READ: Byron Donalds continues fundraising domination in Florida governor's race

According to the party, the qualifications are having 10% support in RPOF polling, more than $10 million raised and more than 10,000 donors.

Power didn’t respond to an interview request. On social media, he said, “We will be a unified Republican Party ready to take on the radical Jolly/Graham ticket.”

But DeSantis isn’t the only one speaking up.

So are the other high-profile gubernatorial candidates: Lt. Gov. Jay Collins, investor James Fishback and former Florida House Speaker Paul Renner.

“What have we become?” Renner said on social media. “Are we not the conservative party that believes in free competition?”

Collins said, “Debates are not going to be the end all be all for this race. That said, if [Donalds] can’t show up to one, and if he keeps hiding behind the RPOF, voters need to take notice.”

Fishback showed up at an event for Donalds over the weekend, along with someone dressed as a chicken and others holding signs reading, “Byron, why don’t you debate Fishback?”

Remarks made by Fishback, including during that encounter with Donalds, have been criticized by some state Republicans.

For example, Attorney General James Uthmeier on Monday said Fishback calling Donalds — who is Black — a slave was “gross,” adding, “ I don’t think there’s any room for that in Republican politics.”

U.S. Sen. Rick Scott also called out Fishback at an event condemning antisemitism on Monday.

There’s only one high-profile candidate on the Democratic side of the governor’s race: David Jolly, a now-Democrat but former Republican U.S. representative who chose Gwen Graham as his running mate. Graham's also a former congresswoman and the daughter of the late Bob Graham, the former Florida governor and senator.

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This story was produced by WUSF as part of a statewide journalism initiative funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.