The Florida GOP has announced that only Byron Donalds meets the criteria to participate in the upcoming gubernatorial debate scheduled for June 27 in Hollywood. This decision has sparked a wave of reactions from other candidates and political figures, highlighting the contentious nature of the party’s selection process.

The Republican Party of Florida established three metrics for candidates to qualify for the debate: achieving at least 10% support in an official party poll, raising over $10 million, and securing more than 10,000 donors. According to Bill Helmich, executive director of the RPOF, these thresholds are designed to be reasonable and accessible for a state as large and diverse as Florida.

Byron Donalds’ dominance in the polls and fundraising

Donalds, who secured President Trump’s endorsement last year, has been leading the race in both polls and fundraising. An Associated Industries of Florida survey of 386 likely Republican voters showed Donalds with 54% support, significantly ahead of his competitors. Investment firm CEO James Fishback followed with 8%, Lt. Gov. Jay Collins at 5%, and former Florida House Speaker paul renner at 2%, with 31% undecided.

Despite the lack of a formal debate, the party has committed to providing opportunities for Republican primary voters to hear from candidates. Five GOP gubernatorial candidates will appear on stage throughout the day during the ‘Sunshine State Showdown’ to discuss their candidacies. However, the party did not disclose the names of these candidates.

Competitors’ reactions to the debate criteria

Renner criticized the decision, stating that it was ‘rigged from the start’ and expressing disappointment in the state party. He argued that having a nominee who hasn’t been battle-tested before facing the Democratic nominee in the fall is ‘dangerous.’ Fishback also condemned the decision, calling it ‘disgraceful’ and emphasizing the importance of a debate for Floridians to see the candidates’ plans.

Collins’ campaign has been vocal about their frustration, creating a website called ‘The Collins Callout’ to challenge Donalds to a debate. Collins expressed his eagerness to debate Donalds, stating, ‘I cannot wait to debate byron Donald.’ The Donalds campaign responded by asserting that there are ‘no participation trophies in politics’ and that it is not Donalds’ responsibility to legitimize campaigns that have failed to gain meaningful support.

Governor DeSantis weighs in on the debate controversy

Florida’s sitting governor, Ron DeSantis, also joined the criticism, taking issue with the party being the arbiter of who could participate in a debate. He emphasized the importance of an open process, stating, ‘There should be a debate. They said that there was going to be a debate.’ DeSantis argued that the criteria were not publicly disclosed and that he wouldn’t have qualified under the same standards when he ran in.

Byron Donalds officially qualifies for gubernatorial race

In a separate development, Byron Donalds has officially qualified to run in Florida’s 2026 gubernatorial race. The candidate qualifying period opened on Monday and runs through Friday. Donalds qualified by paying the required fee of $8,484.00, which is 6% of the gubernatorial salary. As of Tuesday morning, Donalds is one of 10 candidates who had officially qualified, including five Republicans, two Democrats, two NPAs, and a write-in candidate.

Donalds’ campaign has highlighted his significant fundraising efforts, with $81 million raised from 35,000 donors, and the extensive grassroots support demonstrated by 72,400 doors knocked by campaign volunteers across the state. Despite recent polls showing a close race with presumptive Democratic nominee David Jolly, Sabato’s Crystal Ball and the Cook Political Report both rate the race as ‘Safe Republican’ and ‘Solid Republican,’ respectively.