THE OVERLORD

Why Florida State Republicans Are Getting Peeved at Ron DeSantis

“People are deeply frustrated.”

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is reportedly struggling to gain national traction against Donald Trump for his widely expected 2024 presidential run. But he might be losing influence in Tallahassee, too, based on the growing frustration in his own statewide party. “People are deeply frustrated,” former Republican state Sen. Jeff Brandes, who has talked to his old colleagues about their concerns, told POLITICO. “They are not spending any time on the right problems ... Most legislators believe that the balance of power has shifted too far and the Legislature needs to re-establish itself as a coequal branch of government.” One unnamed House Republican told POLITICO he was ready to resign over his frustration. Representatives have been pushing through bill after bill to further DeSantis’ conservative cultural agenda, setting other priorities to the side. Just this week, the governor said he wanted legislators to go after Disney again, angering old-school Republicans who see themselves as protectors of private business. “We’re not the party of cancel culture,” one GOP legislator told POLITICO anonymously. “We can’t keep doing this tit for tat.”