With Gop Primary Looming, Desantis-collins Ties Fray In Florida

TALLAHASSEE, Florida — While on the campaign trail, Lt. Gov. Jay Collins has tried to bill himself as the natural successor to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. But the last few days may have strained his relationship with the governor to the breaking point.

Top aides to both DeSantis and state Attorney General James Uthmeier have hammered Collins in recent days over whether his wife was behind “burner” X accounts that trashed DeSantis for failing to endorse Collins in the governor’s race — assertions the Collinses have denied.

DeSantis has yet to weigh in, but a senior administration official based in Tallahassee — granted anonymity as they were not authorized to comment publicly — said Collins has “proven to be a constant source of drama and toxicity.”

“The governor gave Jay a platform and opportunity to succeed, and instead of listening to the advice of the governor, he and his wife chose to engage in months of attacks on DeSantis staff and allies,” the official said. “They have proven to be a constant source of drama and toxicity, which has now culminated in an embarrassing debate performance and the potential end of Jay’s political career.”

Collins, who was elevated to his current post last year by DeSantis, contended in a statement that "I believe Gov. DeSantis has been given bad information by people who do not want him engaging in this race. I know for a fact that some of his staff have actively worked against me and my wife to stain our names and reputations."

He added that "these are the same people who were found coordinating to platform a fringe candidate before I even entered the race by their own admission. This story right here is simply a continuation of that same theme." Collins' remarks refer to an incident in which a longtime DeSantis aide — Christina Pushaw — acknowledged back in January she had been advising James Fishback, a Republican candidate who has been harshly critical of frontrunner Rep. Byron Donalds, but had come to regret it.

Collins is a former state senator, Green Beret and strong ally of DeSantis who the governor once called the “Chuck Norris of Florida politics.” DeSantis appointed him to his current position after Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez stepped down to become president of Florida International University.

In the immediate aftermath of the selection, DeSantis heaped praise on his new second-in-command, but his enthusiasm cooled as Collins ruminated over whether he would run against Trump-endorsed Donalds for governor. DeSantis has declined to endorse Donalds even as he built up support from other top Republicans in the state.

Collins jumped into the race in January. At the time, POLITICO reported that five Republican consultants and operatives — who were granted anonymity to talk frankly about the race — said the relationship between Collins and DeSantis had become strained and that they did not anticipate an endorsement from DeSantis if Collins joined the contest.

In the run-up to his entry, Collins clashed with top staffers in the governor’s office and Taryn Fenske, a top political aide for DeSantis, saying they weren’t doing enough to help him according to three Republican operatives with knowledge of the situation who were granted anonymity to discuss the situation candidly.

“The problem was that Jay expected the staff to do the job for him instead of learning it himself,” said a former senior administration official. “For someone who constantly preached ‘actions, not words,’ his actions told a different story.”

In the latest skirmish, Pushaw, a communications adviser for DeSantis, posted online that Layla Collins, who the governor appointed to the State Board of Education, was behind an anonymous social media account that had labeled DeSantis a “sell out coward.”

Pushaw contended that Layla Collins had been using at least two anonymous profiles “first to promote her husband’s various runs for office, then to harass, defame & trash talk the governor and his team.” Jeremy Redfern, who works for Uthmeier and used to work for DeSantis, also chimed in and said Layla Collins should resign from the state Board of Education.

In her own social media post, Layla Collins said that “over the holiday weekend instead of going outside, touching grass, and enjoying America’s 250th birthday, X trolls tried to falsely tie me to a so-called burner account.” She asserted that Pushaw had not proven it was her account. Lt. Gov. Jay Collins reposted this a day later.

The latest dust-up with those in the DeSantis orbit came right after a raucous debate between Collins and other contenders for governor that didn’t include Donalds. During that debate Collins had an awkward moment when primary rival James Fishback asked everyone who voted for DeSantis in 2018 to raise their hand. Collins hesitated and did not raise his hand and explained later he was in the process of moving to the state after serving in the military.

The back-and-forth involving Collins comes just more than a month before the Aug. 18 Republican primary. Polls have shown Donalds — who has also amassed a significant fundraising advantage — with a healthy lead over his potential GOP rivals.

Collins insisted Tuesday that "we have a lane. The data has shown we have real path to victory. I have received fresh polling which proves that. I will not be intimidated into dropping out of this race. I will not allow this race to be rigged. I will not be scared off by swamp monsters who lie and cheat to get ahead."

"I will continue to protect and fight for the people of Florida," Collins added. "I stand with our Governor and First Lady, even with these baseless accusations.”

Andrew Atterbury contributed to this report.