Ron DeSantis Criticizes Paul Renner’s Decision to Run for Governor

Gov. Ron DeSantis is not supporting former Florida House Speaker Paul Renner’s bid in the 2026 gubernatorial election. Despite Renner highlighting his support for DeSantis’ legislative priorities in his campaign announcement, the sitting governor said he disagrees with Renner’s decision to run. DeSantis himself is barred from running in the 2026 election by Florida’s two-term limit on governors. He was elected narrowly in 2018, and then solidly re-elected in 2022. DeSantis Disses Renner “I’m not supporting Paul Renner,” DeSantis said in a Wednesday press conference in Hillsborough County. “I think it was an ill-advised decision to enter the race.” DeSantis hasn’t yet cast an endorsement in the 2026 election, which has already yielded multiple high-profile candidates. “As a legislator and Speaker of the House, I stood with Ron DeSantis to brand our state the Free State of Florida,” Renner said in his announcement. “I’m running for Governor so that when the DeSantis era comes to an end, we can defend our victories and solve the challenges that remain.” So where does Renner go now that his campaign has been kicked off with a sour assessment from the incumbent? The former top legislative Republican in the state believes he can work to change DeSantis’ mind. “The governor and I had a fantastic partnership making us the Free State of Florida, and I’m confident I’ll earn his support along the way,” he said according to FloridaPolitics. Election Background As of now, Paul Renner is in the race alongside two other prominent Republican candidates. One is Charles Burkett, the current Mayor of Surfside. The other is Byron Donalds, a U.S. congressman who’s already earned the endorsement of President Donald Trump, Senator Rick Scott, and several other major Republicans in the House and Trump administration. One major Democrat has declared: former U.S. representative David Jolly. Also running is Jason Pizzo, a former Democratic Florida Senate minority leader who left the Democratic Party to run as an independent candidate.