Florida Republicans will no longer require 2024 GOP presidential candidates to sign a pledge of allegiance pledging to support the party’s eventual nominee to get on the Sunshine State’s primary ballot.
The oath requirement was struck down Friday in a vote taken during the state GOP’s quarterly meeting in Orlando, Fla.
“Common sense prevailed in the Republican Party of Florida tonight,” said Florida state Sen. Joe Gruters, who made the motion to repeal the pledge of allegiance, according to NBC News.
The vote in favor of repealing the pledge was “encouraging,” Gruters added.
The pledge language was approved by the party in May, and filed with Florida election officials in July. It was scheduled as a required step for all GOP candidates who want to appear on the state primary ballot on March 19 and follows the Republican National Committee’s announcement earlier this year that GOP presidential debate participants must pledge to support the party’s standard bearer to be allowed on stage.
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A spokesman for Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis’ campaign criticized Friday’s vote.
“We believe that anyone who wants to run for president as a Republican should be prepared to support our candidate,” Bryan Griffin told NBC News. “It’s surprising that anyone interested in seeing Joe Biden lose in 2024 would disagree.”
“Once Ron DeSantis secures the party’s nomination, we hope that everyone in the field will join him in that fight,” he added.
Ron DeSantis campaign spokesman Bryan Griffin condemned the vote, saying “anyone who wants to run for president as a Republican should be prepared to support our eventual nominee.”SHAWN THEW/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
The vote was considered a victory for former President Donald Trump.
The 77-year-old Republican has so far refused to sign the RNC pledge, which disqualified him from the first GOP primary debate last month.
However, Trump insisted that he would skip the debate because of his large lead in the polls.
“I will not sign the pledge. Why would I sign the pledge? There are people there that I will not have. I’m not going to have a specific person as, you know, somebody that I’m going to support,” Trump told Newsmax host Eric Bolling last month. “I can name three or four people I would not support for president.”
The vote was considered a victory for former President Trump as he has so far refused to sign the RNC pledge, which disqualified him from the first GOP primary debate last month.Getty Images
Trump’s lead over DeSantis reached 46 points earlier this month, according to a Wall Street Journal poll, with 59% of Republican primary voters saying the former president would be their top choice in 2024 followed by 13% for DeSantis.
Likewise, Trump reached 60% support nationally in a Fox News poll released Thursday, with DeSantis receiving 13% support.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
