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GOP Gubernatorial candidates campaigns seek support
Florida's high-stakes primary elections are just a week away. For Tuesday, the campaign trail ran right through the Bay Area. FOX 13's Evan Axelbank reports.
TAMPA, Fla. - Three Republican candidates for Florida governor made campaign trail stops in the Tampa Bay area on Tuesday.
Candidates stump across Tampa Bay
What we know:
U.S. Rep Byron Donalds held a rally at a VFW hall in Largo on Tuesday while holding a substantial lead in public polling. Amidst Donalds' signs posted outside were signs for David Jolly, who is the defacto Democratic nominee.
Jolly supporters were seen placing the signs just before Donalds arrived.
"We had a couple of protesters outside," said Donalds. "And this is how you know it's getting serious now."
Florida Lt. Governor Jay Collins is working to try and narrow the gap, holding a meet-and-greet at Southern Technical College. Despite being appointed by Governor Ron DeSantis last year, he doesn't have his boss's endorsement.
"The lesson is all the endorsements, all the money don't matter," said Collins. "It turns out in Florida, we have Florida guys and Florida gals and they kind of think for themselves."
Meanwhile, former State House Speaker Paul Renner met with voters at the Tampa Chamber of Commerce. He didn't get the governor's endorsement either, but did get a boost when DeSantis name-dropped him during a press conference last week.
"He said he wasn't going to get involved in primaries," Renner said of DeSantis. "He has signaled where he thinks he's going to go, because he's got to vote for his replacement as well. And that does make a big difference to people."
Polling figures and endorsements
By the numbers:
Public polling shows Donalds nearing 50% support in the four-way primary race. Collins remains in the mid-teens, while Renner stays in single digits. Donalds is seeking to leverage an endorsement from President Donald Trump to secure the nomination.
"In 84 days, the people of Florida are going to decide the next governor of our state," said Donalds. "The first step happens next Tuesday at the ballot box amongst Republicans."
General election match up strategy
What's next:
If it is Donalds who faces off against Jolly, he began his line of attacks on Tuesday, centering on issues like trans women in sports and gender surgeries for children. Jolly has said that he will bury the culture wars in Florida, and that Donalds is talking about them, because the rest of the Republican agenda has failed.
Depending on how Tuesday goes, they would have three months to argue about that, and see which side voters want.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from candidate campaign appearances in Tampa Bay, public statements from Byron Donalds, Jay Collins, and Paul Renner, as well as polling data from Quantus Insights.