Donalds And Desantis Signal Détente Ahead Of November Election

TAMPA, Florida — Florida Republicans gathered Tuesday night to herald the party’s statewide candidates and project unity ahead of the November election. But the event quickly turned into a Gov. Ron DeSantis lovefest, with GOP candidates taking turns praising the term-limited governor and promising to keep his agenda alive.

DeSantis gave the equivalent of a lengthy 90-minute job interview to all four Republicans, including his potential successor as governor Byron Donalds, whom DeSantis has had a strained relationship with. Standing before a packed crowd, DeSantis queried and prodded Donalds and three statewide officials, and the governor reminded those attending of his frequent dust-ups with Republicans who led the state House. DeSantis also clashed several times with hecklers who tried to disrupt his “leadership forum” before they were escorted out by police.

But while the event was heavy on policy promises, it gave a picture that Florida Republicans were eager to see: DeSantis standing side by side by those who are hoping to keep the GOP’s three-decade monopoly of controlling state government.

The event came at a time when Republicans are facing headwinds nationally, and polling has shown that Donalds is in a tight race for the governor’s mansion with Democrat David Jolly. Jolly has focused squarely on affordability concerns, such as property insurance, while criticizing Donalds and DeSantis for focusing on “culture wars.”

“I think apathy is our enemy and if we’re not apathetic and we understand we’ve got a job to do things will work out well,” DeSantis said Tuesday.

He added that Republicans will lose trust from voters if they don’t follow through on their campaign promises.

“Make sure that the people you're electing, that are running as Republicans, are actually going to do what their fancy mailers say what they're going to do,” said DeSantis. “I think it’s important that we keep the momentum going.”

The event, held in a hospitality center located in one of the state’s bigger media markets, was the first time that DeSantis had shared a stage with Donalds since the gubernatorial hopeful won the Republican primary for governor last month.

The two men were once close allies but their relationship cooled in the run-up to the 2024 presidential race, in no small part because Donalds supported Donald Trump instead of DeSantis during the GOP presidential primary. Donalds in the summer of 2003 also took a mild swipe at teaching standards over slavery that were drawn up by the DeSantis administration.

When Donalds was getting ready to jump into the governor’s race, DeSantis was dismissive, saying Donalds “just hasn’t been a part of any of the victories that we’ve had here over the left over these last few years.” The governor ultimately did not endorse anyone running for governor ahead of the primary including Lt. Gov. Jay Collins who DeSantis appointed to the job last year.

But while sharing the same stage with DeSantis on Tuesday, Donalds sided with the governor on several of his initiatives — including cracking down on illegal immigration and getting voters to approve a substantial property tax overhaul that is also on this year’s ballot.

Donalds, who while in the state House in 2018 voted against sweeping gun legislation passed in the aftermath of the Parkland school shooting, pledged to sign into law a measure that would repeal the state’s current requirement that no one under 21 may purchase a rifle.

He also suggested that he would carry forward some of DeSantis’ recent initiatives — including a “bill of rights” on artificial intelligence and a “medical freedom” measure dealing with vaccines — that were not taken up this past year by Florida state House Republicans.

“We’re going to pick up the ball, get rolling, get that stuff done pretty quickly,” Donalds said. “There’s a lot of work that we have to do to keep the state moving in the direction that it’s going. He’s done a great job.”

Jolly's campaign dismissed the forum held by Republicans.

"No matter who endorses whom, the reality is this: David Jolly is running to lower housing and healthcare costs, improve education for all families, and stop data centers. Byron Donalds represents more of the same,” said campaign senior adviser Mark Riddle in a statement.

Kimberly Leonard contributed to this report.