In a decisive move on Saturday, the Florida Republican Party formally endorsed Donald Trump as their candidate for the 2024 presidential election. This endorsement solidifies Trump’s dominance in his adopted home state of Florida, coming just weeks after Governor Ron DeSantis suspended his own presidential campaign.
The endorsement took place during the state GOP’s weekend meeting in Wesley Chapel, Florida, near Tampa. Though Trump did not attend the meeting in person, the motion to support his candidacy was met with resounding applause and cheers from those present.
“This race is over. The party’s 100 percent behind the former president. And there’s zero doubt now,” said state Senator Joe Gruters, newly elected national committeeman for the Republican National Committee.
The motion to endorse Trump was put forward by State Representative Dean Black, chairman of the Duval County GOP. Black stated the vote received a “clapping, cheering, standing ovation” from meeting attendees. While former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley remains in the presidential race, Trump is now considered the prohibitive favorite for the Republican nomination.
The endorsement marks the Florida GOP’s strongest show of support yet for the former president, who has meticulously courted state party leaders and grassroots supporters over the last several months. Though DeSantis earned more endorsements from Florida lawmakers, Trump leveraged his campaign team’s strong Florida ties to connect with voters at rallies and party gatherings across the state.
“We recognized what the American people are saying all across the country, and that is that this primary is now pointless. It’s clear that the people want Donald Trump as their nominee for President of the United States,” Black explained.
By securing Florida’s endorsement before next month’s primary vote, Trump has gained a crucial advantage in a state he only narrowly won in 2020. Maintaining support in Florida, which holds 29 electoral votes, is seen as critical for Trump to retake the White House in 2024.
Many state Republicans expressed relief at uniting behind one candidate after months of tension between the Trump and DeSantis factions. “People are excited to actually start getting together and rolling downhill towards the general,” said Lee County Chair Michael Thompson.
The endorsement caps a period of upheaval for the state party leadership. Former party chair Christian Ziegler was recently ousted amidst a sexual assault investigation. Though police declined to recommend charges, Ziegler could still face prosecution for illegally recording the alleged victim.
“We had a real tough primary,” said Thompson. “Every primary is really tough, but this one was extremely tough because of the candidates that were running. We’re excited to get past the Ziegler-gate, get past the endorsements here, get everything back on track.”
Trump welcomed the endorsement in a statement, calling his connection to Florida “special.” His senior Florida advisor Brian Hughes said the state will be “bright Red for President Trump” in 2024 thanks to the party’s show of support.
DeSantis endorsed Trump after exiting the presidential race, but later questioned whether Trump could win a general election due to waning enthusiasm. The governor has avoided direct criticism of Trump since returning to Tallahassee, instead holding events to attack President Biden’s policies.
While Trump and DeSantis jockeyed for position, the Florida GOP took the rare step last year of removing a rule requiring candidates to pledge loyalty to the eventual nominee before appearing on the state primary ballot. This allowed both Trump and DeSantis more freedom to continue their bitter rivalry right up until DeSantis bowed out.
Looking ahead to the March 19 primary, Trump now appears to have an open path to Florida’s delegates and formal nomination. State Republicans plan to leverage their unified front to register more new voters before November’s general election. Voter registration trends currently favor the GOP by over 800,000 in Florida, a key battleground state.