Key facts
- Florida Governor Ron DeSantis criticized the Republican Party of Florida for not hosting primary debates.
- DeSantis stated that under the party's current criteria, he would not have qualified for a debate in 2018.
- The party's debate qualification criteria include 10% polling, $10 million raised, and 10,000 donors.
- Republican candidate Daniel Fishback has agreed to a debate with CBS News on July 15.
- Other candidates have criticized the party's decision and some rivals for not debating.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has criticized the Republican Party of Florida for its decision not to host primary debates for gubernatorial candidates. DeSantis asserted that under the criteria the party is now using, he would not have qualified when he ran for governor in 2018. The party's stated criteria for debate qualification include reaching at least 10 percent in a poll of primary voters conducted by the party, raising at least $10 million in contributions, and having more than 10,000 donors. Bill Helmich, the party's executive director, described these as reasonable and accessible thresholds. However, candidate Daniel Fishback has agreed to participate in a debate with CBS News in Jacksonville on July 15, and plans to host his own rally that night. Other candidates, including Collins, have accused Donalds of "hiding behind" the party and being "cowardly" for refusing to debate his primary rivals. A spokesperson for Donalds stated that it is not his role to legitimize campaigns lacking significant support, and Donalds himself has previously suggested that a campaign must exist before debates are meaningful. Records indicate that DeSantis would have met the fundraising thresholds during his 2018 campaign, and his polling numbers were between 17 percent and 21 percent, which later increased after an endorsement from Donald Trump.