Florida Lt. Gov. Jay Collins tells Republicans to fight after midterm losses

Florida Lieutenant Governor Jay Collins told Republican officials on November 8 that the party must stop analyzing its midterm losses and start competing for voters who do not identify with either major political party. Collins, who will leave office in January, said the recent election results were a wake-up call for a group he described as battered.

The 2026 midterm cycle saw a sharp decline in Republican performance. Governor Ron DeSantis previously characterized the outcome as a near extinction-level event for the party. Texas, a state historically dominated by Republicans, shifted to Democratic control in the congressional races. Collins noted that even Florida, which maintains a large registration advantage for Republicans, saw slim margins in many districts.

Collins, a former Green Beret who performed emergency surgery on his own arm after a bullet wound in combat, used military metaphors to describe the party's current state. He said that in difficult conditions, leaders must rise and engage rather than wait for rescue. He described the recent election as a bloodbath but argued that the party has the tools to recover if it changes its approach.

The lieutenant governor identified a failure to communicate with no party affiliation voters as the primary reason for the narrow results. He stated that the party spent too little time engaging these voters during the campaign cycle. Collins suggested that Republicans should adopt the strategy that turned Florida into the largest red state on the 2028 map. He called Florida a conservative proving ground and a roadmap for other states.

Collins cited his own first campaign for the state Senate in Tampa as proof that this strategy works. He recalled running in a district that was not a conservative stronghold against a candidate related to the local mayor. He said his team focused almost exclusively on knocking on the doors of independent voters and light Democrats. He won that race by 10 points.

He argued that honesty and a willingness to engage in direct conversation allow Republicans to find more common ground with these voters. Collins said the party needs to become a bigger tent while maintaining its core conservative values. He warned against hiding political views to appeal to moderates.

Collins is term-limited and will exit office in January. He said he will consider future roles in state or national party politics but has not committed to a specific path. He urged supporters to watch for his next move. He also called for unity behind the eventual 2028 Republican nominee, comparing the need for cohesion to the national response after the September 11 attacks.

The lieutenant governor advised against fighting the previous election cycle. He said the party must understand the current political environment before acting. He closed by telling Republicans to move with a righteous fury to correct their strategic errors.