Republican Party of Florida to endorse Donald Trump for president

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Republican Party of Florida will move to endorse former President Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election at its next party meeting.

Citing the results of Iowa and New Hampshire’s respective caucuses and primary, state party Chairman Evan Power said Republicans must “come together and put 100% of our focus on defeating Joe Biden and his failed administration in November.”

The party said Wednesday that the vote will be held at their annual meeting Feb. 10.

“The results of Iowa and New Hampshire make it clear that President Trump is the presumptive nominee of the Republican Party. Governor Ron DeSantis, Senator Marco Rubio, and Senator Rick Scott have all called for us to unite behind Donald Trump,” Power said. “To that end the Republican Party of Florida will hold a formal vote to endorse President Trump at our annual meeting on February 10th.”

Republican Party of Duval County Chairman and Rep. Dean Black, of Jacksonville, will file the motion to endorse Trump, the party announced.

“This primary is over and the Florida GOP is united behind President Trump,” Black said. “Floridians can’t afford four more years of Crooked Joe Biden’s doddering weakness and ineptitude. We must stop America’s decline.”

“We need a strong President again who has always put America First,” he said. “That man is President Donald J. Trump!”

Trump won the Iowa caucuses by around 30 points, garnering about 51% of the vote.

Gov. Ron DeSantis dropped out after his higher-than-expected second place finish at around 21%. The governor endorsed Trump during his drop-out message.

And on Tuesday, Trump defeated former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley in the New Hampshire primary by around 11%, garnering a higher share of the vote than he did in Iowa at close to 55%.

Haley said she is remaining in the race.

“[Trump] has my endorsement because we can’t go back to the old Republican guard of yesteryear,” DeSantis said on Sunday.

At a rally in New Hampshire hours after DeSantis dropped out, the former president congratulated the Florida governor and called him a “terrific person.”

Also after DeSantis dropped out, Power, who became chairman earlier this month, endorsed Trump.

Trump also gained the endorsement of other top Florida Republicans, such as the Florida Cabinet with Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson, Attorney General Ashley Moody and Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis; Florida House Speaker Paul Renner, R-Palm Coast; Florida Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, R-Naples; Florida House Speaker-Designate Daniel Perez, R-Miami; and Florida Senate President-Designate Ben Albritton, R-Bartow.

DeSantis’ campaign lasted around eight months, launching in late-May 2023.