On March 19, 2024, the Republican Party’s Florida primary election will take place. Florida is a big deal, since it constitutes a winner takes all primary state.

Two GOP presidential candidates, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former President Trump, are both from the Sunshine State. Both also have a vested interest in winning the state’s primary race.

However, as they work to do this, the Florida Republican Party is setting some ground rules. One of them will require both candidates to agree to a loyalty pledge of supporting the eventual party’s nominee.

This is a mandatory step that DeSantis and Trump must take in order to even appear on the state’s ballot, according to Politico.

The loyalty pledge directly mirrors some of the requirements in order for GOP candidates to appear on next month’s debate stage. To attend this debate, Republican contenders will have to sign an agreement to back the GOP’s eventual nominee and decline to run as a third-party candidate.

The Florida Republican Party’s vice president, Evan Power, says the loyalty pledge to appear on the state’s primary election ballot is a homage to the debate requirements for GOP candidates.

Power also stressed that the loyalty pledge to back the eventual nominee shouldn’t be shocking to either DeSantis or Trump.

Despite what leadership within the Republican Party says, the notion of promising to support the eventual nominee isn’t going over well with everyone.

Some of Trump’s supporters think it’s a roundabout way to keep him from campaigning. However, other Republicans, like former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, argue that there wasn’t a need for a loyalty pledge before Trump became a factor in Republican politics.

Despite the controversy, however, there are still no signs the Florida GOP intends to back down.