WASHINGTON—Newly-elected U.S. Rep. Jimmy Patronis on Wednesday praised Congressman Byron Donalds for announcing his Florida gubernatorial run while telling First Lady Casey DeSantis to either get in the race or step aside.
"I think Byron's got a heck of a head start, albeit it's eighteen months out. A lot of things can happen in eighteen months. But I'll give this to Byron, he's working his tail off," Patronis told to The Floridian.
Congressman Donalds is backed by President Donald Trump, who endorsed his gubernatorial run ahead of his official announcement. No other major candidates have been announced on either side of the aisle.
"He is really working hard. He is making the rounds. He's listening. He's advocating on positions that are important to the Florida taxpayer and the Florida resident. There's still a lot of time left on the clock, but right now, he's hustling," Patronis added.
As for First Lady Casey DeSantis and any other potential gubernatorial candidate, Rep. Patronis said it was time for her to make a decision.
"Either fish or cut bait. If you're going to run, go file your paperwork," Patronis said. Don't flirt. Don't talk about it. Just go file your paperwork."
Whether DeSantis decides to jump into the fray or not, Patronis indicated that Trump's influence gives Donalds a major advantage leading into the race.
He pointed to Florida's last two Republican governors, Rick Scott and Ron DeSantis, taking "unorthodox" paths to Tallahassee as prime examples of Trump's subsequent power.
"Rick Scott wrote a check for $75 million dollars and paid his way to turn the state around to the greatest condition it has ever been in its history financially," Patronis said.
While Casey DeSantis remains slightly more popular with Florida voters than Donalds, would her husband's likely endorsement even make a huge difference? Or will Trump's nod lead Donalds to the governor's mansion?
Remember, the DeSantis political reign in Florida would not have existed without the power of Trump's endorsement.
"Here comes a guy named Ron DeSantis that people really did not have that much of a history of or really knew," Patronis said. But with a couple of Donald Trump tweets, it elevates this guy to stardom, and an heir apparent by the name of Adam Putnam unfortunately just never had a chance after those."
