Florida Lt. Gov. Jay Collins Tells Republicans to 'Get Up and Fight' After Midterm Losses
The former Green Beret, who performed emergency surgery on his own arm in combat, advises the party to use Florida as a blueprint for recovery and to engage unaffiliated voters.
By Emmanuel Faure ·
Florida Lt. Gov. Jay Collins believes the Republican Party must act like a wounded soldier rather than a defeated one.
Collins, who serves as the running mate to Gov. Ron DeSantis, issued the call to action in an interview days after the midterm elections. DeSantis, who is term-limited in January, described the electoral results as a near extinction-level event for the GOP. Collins, a former Green Beret, used a military analogy to frame the party’s next steps.
He told Fox News Digital that the party must knuckle down and learn from its mistakes. Collins, whom DeSantis has called the Chuck Norris of Florida politics, argued that the current moment could be a definitive death blow if Republicans allow it. He stated his belief in the Constitution and the founding vision, urging the party to lead with a relentless dedication to the American people.
Collins pointed to Florida’s political transformation as the primary model for national recovery. Under DeSantis, the state shifted from a purple swing state to the largest red state on the 2028 map. Collins described Florida as a conservative proving ground and a blueprint for other states to follow. He emphasized that the party must be resilient and ready to lead, even after being hurt.
A central part of Collins’ strategy involves changing how Republicans communicate with non-party affiliated voters, or NPAs. He noted that in the recent Florida Senate race, many NPAs did not align with Republicans despite the state’s heavy Republican registration edge. Collins admitted that the party failed to spend enough time communicating with this middle ground.
He referenced his first race in Tampa, a district he described as not being a conservative juggernaut. In that contest, his team focused exclusively on knocking on the doors of NPAs and light Democrats rather than talking to registered Republicans. Collins said he won that race by 10 points without hiding his conservative views. He argued that honesty and direct conversation built a base of people who trust the party.
Collins suggested the party needs to return to a big tent approach while standing on conservative values. He noted that he will be term-limited in January alongside DeSantis. While he has not yet decided whether to stay in state politics or move to a national role, he said he is evaluating his future. For now, he is committing to nothing beyond the immediate aftermath of the cycle.
The lieutenant governor also urged Republicans to unite once the party selects its 2028 candidate. He compared the need for unity to the national response after the Sept. 11 attacks, saying that enemies feared Americans coming together. Collins warned that the nation will fall if the party does not start uniting and reminding itself that it is an ally to itself.
He concluded by warning against fighting the last war, a phrase he used to describe the early years of the war on terror. Collins said the party must understand the current operational environment, identify its gaps and weaknesses, and address them. He ended with a call to move with a righteous fury, a phrase that mirrors his earlier advice to get up and fight.
