As a rift widens within the Florida GOP, Gov. Ron DeSantis says he will raise funds to help elect a “strong conservative” to succeed him and urged potential candidates to get on board with his immigration plan.

Gov. Ron DeSantis was flying high with a presidential hopes. But this week's special session has revealed fissures between him and a previously pliant Legislature.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Wednesday he plans to veto a so-called watered-down immigration bill passed by state Republican lawmakers.

Why would you put a department impacted by immigration in charge of immigration?” one Florida GOP member asked during a conference call Thursday.

The GOP supermajority legislature was the first to deny a Republican governor a special session since they took control in the 1990s.

The survey, conducted Jan. 22 through 27, shows Ron DeSantis at 8% support, far behind Vice President JD Vance (27%) and Donald Trump, Jr. (21%). Another Florida man is farther back: Secretary of State Marco Rubio has 3% support, tied with Tulsi Gabbard and Vivek Ramaswamy.

Flanked by Sheriff Ric Bradshaw, Gov. Ron DeSantis said the bill would deter local law enforcement from deporting undocumented immigrants.

The GOP supermajority legislature was the first to deny a Republican governor a special session since they took control in the 1990s.

The governor plans to use his Florida Freedom Fund, which was key in defeating marijuana and abortion measures last year, to support strong conservative candidates against defiant legislators.

Gov. Ron DeSantis held another roundtable with local law enforcement as he seeks to introduce his own immigration laws in the face of opposition from state lawmakers.

The chairperson of the Republican Party of Hillsborough County expressed concerns about the “optics” of Republican legislative leaders rejecting DeSantis’ special session.