The Republican Party of Florida is facing several headwinds just two months before the 2024 election, which stands in stark�contrast to the
Oliver Willis at Daily Kos:
The Republican Party of Florida is facing several headwinds just two months before the 2024 election, which stands in stark contrast to the position the party found itself in just two years ago. In that election, Sen. Marco Rubio handily won reelection while Gov. Ron DeSantis was touted as a viable rival to Donald Trump for the Republican presidential nomination after cruising to his own reelection. But after announcing his presidential bid in May 2023, DeSantis never gained momentum and his campaign was suspended in January after only winning nine delegates of the 1,215 needed to win.
DeSantis came under fire Monday after Florida Democrats held a press conference criticizing several actions that the governor has taken in opposition to the Amendment 4 ballot issue. The measure would restore abortion rights stripped away by the state’s Republican-led legislature. The Florida Agency for Health Care Administration, led by DeSantis appointee Jason Weida, posted a page on its official website attacking Amendment 4. The Tampa Bay Times has also reported that “election police” authorized by DeSantis have been interrogating people who signed petitions that put the amendment on the November ballot. At the press conference, Florida House Democratic Leader Fentrice Driskell described DeSantis’ actions as an attempt to “weaponize state government against its own people.” DeSantis defended his actions at a separate press event as “above board” and said the information was a “public service announcement” and that he was “glad they’re doing it.”
Could Ron DeSantis’s act be reaching its final stages? Lots of Floridians are starting to tire of his culture war antics.