JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Whether or not the four main GOP candidates for Governor will face off on the debate stage to share their messages with voters has become a flashpoint in the Primary race in recent days.
You’ve likely heard rumors that Action News Jax is planning to host a debate next month… And it’s true we’ve been working to make one happen.
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The debate over whether there should or will be a debate broke into the headlines on June 12th when candidate James Fishback made this announcement during qualifying.
“I heard from an executive at the CBS affiliate in Jacksonville that we are having a debate on July 20, rather than July 15th, whether Byron Donalds shows or not,” said Fishback.
After making that announcement, the Florida GOP pulled Fishback’s planned appearance at its Sunshine State Showdown event, claiming his planned participation in an outside debate was in “direct violation of Republican Party of Florida rules governing official primary activities”.
In a statement, Florida GOP Chair Evan Power told Action News Jax the Republican Party of Florida decided to lead its own primary debates, and, “Currently, only one candidate has met the qualifications that were agreed to”.
That one candidate is GOP frontrunner Congressman Byron Donalds (R-FL 19th District).
But GOP candidate and former Florida House Speaker Paul Renner claimed no such agreement exists.
“The idea that there were any kind of preconditions or we’ve agreed to anything is garbage. I’ve never agreed to limit free speech,” said Renner in a recent video posted to social media.
Governor Ron DeSantis even lent his voice to the conversation, criticizing the state party and arguing that voters should have an opportunity to see candidates debate.
“They have no authority to control debates,” said DeSantis at a news conference on June 12th.
Action News Jax has been working since February to host a July debate that would air in the Jacksonville and Orlando television markets.
But so far, only Renner and Fishback have committed.
When asked again whether Donalds would commit Friday, his campaign sent a statement reading in-part, “There are no participation trophies in politics. It is not Byron’s job to legitimize campaigns that have failed to gain meaningful support”.
It’s not the first time the campaign has used the participation trophy line in response to questions over a potential debate.
“There’s my participation trophy,” Florida Lieutenant Governor and GOP Gubernatorial Candidate Jay Collins rebutted at a recent event as he placed his prosthetic leg onto a podium. “The American people want leaders. They don’t want people who are scared of their own shadow, unwilling to debate.”
But ironically, Collins has also not committed to participating in the debate Action News Jax is hoping to host in July.
So, where do we stand now?
Action News Jax wants to make sure that if we move forward with the debate, at the very least, a majority of the top candidates participate.
At this point, the ball is in Donalds’ and Collins’ court, and their decision will determine whether you, the voters, have an opportunity to see a debate on July 15th.
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