Free Republic

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Ron DeSantis is governor of the state of Florida, but also is increasingly trying to be the de facto head of the state’s Republican-led Senate. DeSantis is using his political sway to recruit Republican Senate candidates to run who don’t have the backing of GOP Senate leadership. The goal is to build a coalition of GOP senators with more political loyalty to him than their own Senate Republican leadership, which has had an uneasy relationship with DeSantis over the past several months. It’s a continuation of DeSantis’ one-sided relationship with the Florida Legislature, which has bowed to...

TALLAHASSEE — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is on a collision course with the most powerful man in the GOP: Donald Trump. DeSantis is crisscrossing the country to deliver red-meat speeches. Iowa leaders begged him to visit. He just beat Trump in a key straw poll. And now the popular governor is getting close to overshadowing the former president in the 2024 presidential sweepstakes. All of that could be dangerous for DeSantis’ political health, as Trump continues to ponder a new bid for the White House and remains capable of kneecapping any Republican he sees as a threat. “It makes it...

A STRANGE COMPARISON -- "Marco Rubio's big problem--and his party's," by The Washington Post's Paul Waldman: "Believe it or not, the Iowa caucuses are just over a month away. And Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) -- establishment darling and the cognoscenti's assumed front-runner -- is heading to Iowa for a bus tour, bringing along a shiny new endorsement from Rep. Trey Gowdy of South Carolina, head of the special committee on Benghazi. Can you feel the excitement? Probably not, which is why this is an excellent demonstration of Rubio's problem, and the problem the GOP is facing as the actual voting...

Rep. David Jolly of St. Petersburg is poised to announce his plans to run for U.S. Senate next week, following a Florida Supreme Court ruling that could add a substantial swath of Democratic voters to his congressional district. “Congressman Jolly is seriously considering a U.S. Senate run, and is moving towards a decision and announcement early next week,” Jolly spokeswoman Sarah Bascom said. The Florida Supreme Court ruled last week that eight congressional districts will need to be redrawn, including Jolly’s. The justices said that the Tampa-based seat of Democratic Rep. Kathy Castor can no longer jump across Tampa Bay...