DeSantis Blasts Florida GOP Over Gubernatorial Debate Block

Gov. Ron DeSantis publicly accused Florida Republican Party Chair Evan Power of rigging the 2026 gubernatorial primary process by hiding behind debate criteria he says were designed to protect a preferred candidate — a charge that landed like a grenade inside the state GOP.

The fight matters to Treasure Coast voters, who delivered some of DeSantis's largest margins in both his 2018 and 2022 victories. Their turnout in Republican primaries carries serious weight in statewide races.

At the center of the dispute is the Republican Party of Florida's decision to discourage direct debates between gubernatorial candidates at its upcoming Sunshine Showdown event. Party rules require candidates to hit three thresholds before they qualify for a debate stage: 10% support in an RPOF internal poll, more than $10 million raised, and more than 10,000 donors. No candidate outside the front-runner lane currently meets all three.

DeSantis did not accept that explanation quietly.

Jumping into a thread Power had posted on X, the governor delivered a pointed rebuke. "A debate was promised, and these ridiculous criteria are being used to renege on that promise and to engineer a preferred outcome," DeSantis wrote. "Why not just take 90 minutes, find a TV partner, and let the candidates mix it up? The only reason you wouldn't is if the party hierarchy is serving outside interests instead of the best interests of the voters."

He had already turned up the heat at a news conference Friday. "The party has a very limited role," DeSantis said. "It really should be a candidate-driven process and not for people to be making decisions who voters have never voted into those positions."

Lt. Gov. Jay Collins amplified the governor's position on X, adding a pointed jab at Trump-backed Congressman Byron Donalds, the presumed target of the party's protective criteria. "If Byron Donalds can't show up to one, and if he keeps hiding behind the RPOF, voters need to take notice," Collins wrote.

Donalds, who DeSantis has criticized for months as absent from Florida's policy battles, said through a spokesperson he is "not concerned."

The rupture prompted former Florida House Speaker Paul Renner to ask publicly whether the Florida GOP had drifted from its principles. "What have we become?" Renner wrote on X.

Candidate James Fishback seconded the governor's demand. "Enough is enough," he said.

The Sunshine Showdown, where candidates will be permitted to address the party but not debate one another, will serve as an early test of whether rank-and-file Republican voters — including those across Martin, St. Lucie, and Indian River counties — accept the party leadership's framing or side with DeSantis.

This article was generated with AI assistance using publicly available information. It was reviewed and approved by a human editor before publication. TC Sentinel uses AI writing tools in accordance with FTC guidelines.