Florida GOP faces a loyalty problem after the primary. Here's what to know

Opinion columnist Mary Anna Mancuso argues Florida Republicans should worry less about Democrats and more about holding onto their own voters. Party affiliation, she writes, is becoming less permanent and more transactional, even as the GOP outpaces Democrats in registration in Florida.

FULL STORY: The Florida GOP should worry less about the Democrats — and more about this | Opinion

Here are key takeaways:

• Florida Republicans have outregistered Democrats by 1.5 million voters, but Mancuso warns that bigger numbers don’t guarantee party loyalty in an increasingly candidate-centric political environment.
• Former Republican Rep. David Jolly, who served three terms in Congress as a reliable conservative, is now running for governor as a Democrat — a sign Mancuso says shows party labels are losing their grip on voters.
• James Fishback’s campaign built support online largely outside the GOP establishment. Mancuso says the party was right to distance itself over his racist and antisemitic rhetoric, but his rise shows the GOP no longer controls where voters find candidates.
• The Republican Party of Florida set debate criteria — 10% in polling, $10 million raised and more than 10,000 donors — that only U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds met, canceling the gubernatorial debate.
• Gov. Ron DeSantis criticized the move as trying to “engineer the outcome.” Internal party polling showed Donalds leading but nearly 43% of likely GOP primary voters are still undecided.

This summary was produced with the assistance of a proprietary tool powered by artificial intelligence and using our own originally reported, written and published content. It was reviewed and edited by our journalists.