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The primary is Tuesday, Aug. 18, and the candidates are making their closing arguments to voters. And, Gov. Ron DeSantis reiterates his belief that Florida’s pandemic response was more appropriate because it allowed people to make their own decisions.
Florida Republicans are in the final days of deciding their nominee for governor. The primary is Tuesday, Aug. 18, and the candidates are making their closing arguments to voters.
As of Wednesday morning, more than 526,000 registered Republicans have cast an early ballot in this race.
As it stands, Congressman Byron Donalds is the GOP frontrunner. In fact, it seems he’s already looking ahead, having enjoyed President Donald Trump’s early endorsement.
Whoever wins this primary is going to campaign to replace Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is termed out.
The Democratic Primary is also on Tuesday, with Congressman David Jolly showing a commanding lead ahead of the election.
Here in Florida and in Washington, D.C., Republicans continue to call for a closer look at Dr. Anthony Fauci’s role in the COVID-19 response.
Last week, Congress voted to hold Fauci in contempt.
The question comes after two GOP Senators released text messages collected from Fauci’s phone, which they say shows his recommendations to pregnant people in 2021 differed from conversations he was having in private.
On Wednesday, Gov. Ron DeSantis reiterated his belief that Florida’s pandemic response was more appropriate because it allowed people to make their own decisions.
"And so we were following the evidence and following the data, but also understanding people had a right to make decisions on this," DeSantis said during a stop in Pensacola. "People had a right to own their businesses and operate, and people had a right to earn a living. People had a right to go to work. Kids had a right to go to school. Parents felt differently. They wanted to do virtual, fine. We gave them that option.
"But who is he to take away your individual autonomy or your individual agency, you know, based on these half-baked edicts. So all this stuff is now bubbling back to the surface, but it should remind us that we’ve been the refuge of sanity against all that nonsense for years."
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has opened a state probe into Fauci’s role in the federal COVID response.
While Fauci received a pardon from President Joe Biden, that would not protect him from state charges.
Political Connections Florida August 12 2026 – Spectrum Bay News 9
