SOUTH MIAMI, Fla. — U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Florida, made a campaign stop in South Miami on Friday as he seeks the governor’s office.
Polling currently has Donalds as the front-runner for the Republican nomination and the congressman, who represents the Fort Myers and Naples areas, has been endorsed by President Donald Trump.
In a one-on-one interview with Local 10 News, he spoke about whether he’d be on the debate stage with the other Republicans seeking the office.
“If the race was close and we were battling it out, we’d be debating right now,” Donalds said.
It certainly isn’t happening at the “Sunshine State Showdown” being put on by the Republican Party of Florida.
The party says candidates must meet three benchmarks to qualify for an official gubernatorial debate: at least 10% in the polls, $10 million raised and 10,000 donors.
Right now, only Donalds meets all three requirements.
“Campaigns, like everything else in life, (are) a competition,” Donalds said. “It’s not a charity. You don’t just get to show up because you have a title or because you think you’re owed anything.”
In the past, Donalds has used the phrase “participation trophy” surrounding the topic -- something one of his competitors, Lt. Gov. Jay Collins, fought against this week, talking about his service as a Green Beret.
“That ‘participation trophy’ line is a bit of a slap in the face,” he said. “This is my ‘participation trophy.’”
Even Gov. Ron DeSantis says his party’s debate guidelines might be too stringent.
“I wouldn’t have qualified when I ran in ‘18 for what they were trying to do,” he said.
But Donalds is holding firm.
“The dynamics are totally different and I respect the governor and all that he’s done, but this is not 2018,” he said, having said earlier that “it’s not about ‘who does it hurt?’, it’s about who’s taking their message to the people of Florida.”
The Sunshine State showdown is still holding congressional debates and will have forums for all of the gubernatorial candidates to speak individually, but there is no formal debate for them.
That’s set for June 27 at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.
Local 10 Digital Journalist Chris Gothner contributed to this report.
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