For years, Republicans have argued that Americans should trust voters, not political insiders.
We have criticized elites who attempt to control outcomes. We have championed transparency, accountability, and confidence in the electoral process. We have argued that ordinary citizens — not party bosses, consultants, donors, or media gatekeepers — should decide who represents them.
That is why a recent controversy in Florida should matter to conservatives nationwide.
The Florida GOP recently canceled a planned gubernatorial primary debate after quietly establishing unannounced qualification standards that only one candidate could meet. The candidate, Rep. Byron Donalds (shown right), is the clear frontrunner and has the endorsement of President Donald Trump. No one disputes that he currently leads the field.
But that misses the point.
The issue is not whether Donalds is ahead. The issue is whether Republican voters deserve the opportunity to hear from all the candidates before they cast their ballots.
Debates are not rewards for candidates who are already winning. They are tools that help voters make informed decisions.
In Florida, one of the most striking aspects of the gubernatorial race is that “undecided” has consistently polled as one of the strongest options on the ballot, often outperforming every candidate including Donalds. In other words, a significant number of Republican voters have not yet made up their minds, probably because they’re just beginning to pay attention.
What might help those voters decide?
A debate.
The purpose of a primary election is not to ratify a predetermined outcome. It is to allow candidates to make their case and allow voters to evaluate competing visions for the future.
Sitting Gov. Ron DeSantis himself even said that the insider qualifications established by the Florida GOP would have boxed him out of a debate when he first ran in 2018, because at the time the prevailing wisdom (according to the polls) was that Adam Putnam would easily win. Most of us are probably thinking, who? Exactly.
Debates matter
Conservatives have traditionally understood that debates are an essential part of the process. The Republican movement was built in large part by candidates who challenged party establishments and took their message directly to voters. President Trump himself is perhaps the most obvious example. In 2016, millions of Americans rejected the preferences of political insiders and chose a candidate the establishment never expected to win.
That happened because voters were allowed to hear the arguments and make their own decisions. Imagine if the RNC had established rules that purposely boxed out Trump in 2016. It’s simply unfair to voters.
Ironically, Republicans spent years arguing that election integrity, transparency, and public confidence in the process matter. Whether discussing election laws, ballot security, or voter confidence, the underlying principle was simple: the process matters.
That principle should not suddenly disappear when we are talking about Republican primaries.
If Republican voters can be trusted to choose a president, they can be trusted to choose a governor. If they can be trusted to reject establishment preferences, they can be trusted to evaluate multiple candidates on a debate stage.
In fact, if a candidate truly is the strongest candidate, a debate should not be viewed as a threat. It should be viewed as an opportunity to reinforce that strength before the voters.
Republicans should be careful not to embrace the very behavior we have long criticized in others. When parties begin structuring processes in ways that appear designed to predetermine outcomes, voters notice.
And when voters lose confidence that they are being given a fair opportunity to hear all sides, trust in the process suffers.
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