The Republican Party of Florida. (RPOF) is getting revved up for primary season and is now distributing sample ballots for Republican voters to fill out, with hot-button issues up for debate.
In a press release, the Florida GOP stated, "Now is the time to show support for your top contender by completing the RNC’s Presidential Sample Ballot and making your voice heard."
The ballot asks who voters would vote for in President Donald Trump (R) or Governor Nikki Haley (R-SC). Following this question, a lot of hot-button Culture War issues are raised. The questions are scaled from, "Extremely important," to "Not important."
Question 1 asks, "How important is it to you that the Republican Presidential Nominee upholds your Second Amendment Right to Bear Arms?"
Nikki Haley has a long track record of backing the Second Amendment. When asked in August of 2023, Haley gave a stance very much opposed to red flag laws, "I don't trust that they won't take them away from people who rightfully deserve to have [guns]."
Donald Trump on the other hand has claimed to be the, "most pro-gun, pro-Second Amendment president." Although during his former presidency, the president did ban bump stocks.
Question 2 asks, "How important is it to you that the Republican Presidential Nominee fights to protect the unborn?"
Haley has previously backed legislation in South Carolina that would extend due process and equal protection rights to the point of fertilization. President Trump often takes credit for Roe v. Wade being overturned by the Supreme Court through his three SCOTUS nominations that helped decide in the Summer of 2022.
Question 3 asks, "How important is it to you that the Republican Presidential Nominee fights to hold Big Tech accountable?"
Although Haley's history on Big Tech is rather murky compared to Trump's, the presidential hopeful has raised significant campaign funds from Silicon Valley, which some would say puts her in the pocket of Big Tech.
Donald Trump on the other hand needs no explanation on his stance regarding Big Tech. The former president suffered mass bans from the social media platforms in 2021 after the January 6th riot, and has launched his own app, "Truth Social," to combat de-platforming on platforms like X, known as Twitter at the time.
The issued the Florida GOP seems to be prioritizing are predictable, but the candidates bring a mixed bag to the table. Everybody already knows what Trump will do based on what he has done, and Haley appears to be less consistent in her approach to these three priority issues.
