Florida GOP will require DeSantis, Trump to sign loyalty pledge to make primary ballot
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Gov. Ron DeSantis and former President Donald Trump are finding that the price to make the 2024 Florida primary ballot is going up.
All GOP candidates will have to pledge their loyalty to the eventual Republican nominee to make the March 19 primary, a contest that could tip the balance of the crowded race since Florida’s contest is a winner-take-all primary.
This is a significant change from 2015, when multiple candidates — including two from Florida — were running for president.
The Republican Party of Florida approved the change at its executive board meeting held in mid-May and included the new provisions in an updated version of its bylaws that it filed with state election officials but have not been widely distributed.