Florida Governor Ron DeSantis slammed the Palm Beach County Republican Party for keeping a man accused of molesting a child in its official voter guide, even after the state GOP cut him loose.
Story Snapshot
- Florida GOP Chairman Evan Power says the party dropped support for Mike Caruso “the moment he was arrested.”
- The Palm Beach County GOP initially listed Caruso in its voter guide, then quietly posted an “updated” version without him.
- Caruso faces felony charges including kidnapping, molestation, and child abuse involving a young male relative.
- DeSantis says Republicans must “put our citizens, state and country first” instead of protecting a candidate.
- Caruso denies the charges and vows to stay on the November ballot no matter what the party decides.
State Party Cuts Ties While County GOP Hesitates
Florida Republican Party Chairman Evan Power made it clear the state organization wants nothing to do with Mike Caruso’s campaign. “The Florida GOP does not support Mike Caruso,” Power said, adding that the party “pulled our support the moment he was arrested, and asked the local party to pick a replacement, which they did. Mike refused to withdraw”. That should have settled the matter. It did not.
Governor DeSantis weighed in directly, framing the dispute as a matter of duty rather than party loyalty. “We serve our party best by putting our citizens, state and country first,” DeSantis said, calling the local endorsement “disappointing” and adding, “Some things are bigger than party”. For a governor who has built his brand on protecting families and children, the message was unmistakable: no campaign is worth shielding a man facing these charges.
Serious Charges Spark Fierce Backlash
Caruso, the suspended Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller, faces pending felony charges that include kidnapping, lewd or lascivious molestation, lewd or lascivious exhibition, luring or enticing a child, and child abuse causing mental injury. Reporting describes the alleged victim as a young male relative. These are not minor allegations. They are the kind of charges that, in any functioning political party, should end a campaign the moment they surface.
Instead, the Palm Beach County Republican Party published a voter guide on Instagram that listed Caruso as its endorsed nominee for clerk, despite the charges already being public. Only after the guide drew attention did the county party post an updated version that left his name off. By then, the damage to the party’s credibility was already done, and critics on social media quickly took notice.
County Party Defends Its Timeline
The Palm Beach County GOP pushed back on the idea that it had knowingly protected Caruso. In a caption accompanying its revised guide, the party said, “For the record, our guide originally listed every Republican nominee, as Florida Statute requires,” and added, “As soon as we were permitted to remove the nominee running for a constitutional office, we did”. County Chairman Carl Cascio went further, writing that the state party had “publicly stated it would not support Mr. Caruso’s reelection if he remained in the race”, while separately telling reporters the local committee “has the power and duty” to campaign for him because he is the county’s only Republican constitutional officer.
That explanation leaves plenty of questions unanswered for rank-and-file Republicans. The exact statute cited by the county party was not included in reporting, nor was the internal communication showing when or how the state party’s directive was delivered. What is clear is that a sitting Republican governor felt compelled to publicly rebuke members of his own party over the handling of a child sex abuse case, a sign of how seriously Tallahassee views the situation.
MAGA and Friend of Trump Michael Caruso is facing felony charges including molestation and kidnapping— of course Palm Beach GOP endorses him today.
When Caruso was in the legislature, he supported the Death Penalty for Pedophiles, which is now the law in Florida. https://t.co/V953BUzZqZ pic.twitter.com/ZpvAwQgg5E
— Maine (@TheMaineWonk) October 5, 2026
Caruso Maintains His Innocence, Stays in Race
Caruso has not backed down. “I maintain my innocence and remain a candidate for Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller. My name is on the November ballot, and I intend to win this election,” he said in a statement released through his spokesperson. After posting bond, he repeated the point to reporters, saying he maintains his innocence completely.
Under American law, an arrest is an accusation, not a conviction, and Caruso is entitled to his day in court. But that legal presumption does not obligate a political party to keep campaigning for him. Voters deserve a Republican Party willing to put protecting children ahead of protecting a ballot line, and DeSantis’s rebuke signals that the state GOP, at least, understands the difference.
Sources:
mediaite.com, flvoicenews.com, cbs12.com, wlrn.org, florida.gop
