State GOP leadership relieved at withdrawal of endorsement of Mike Caruso

The Republican Party of Palm Beach County has purged ousted Clerk of the Court Mike Caruso, who’s been charged with five felony counts of child molestation, from its list of candidates to support in the midterm elections.

Gov. Ron DeSantis, who removed Caruso from office despite him being a close ally, said Tuesday that the local party made a mistake by including him in its voter guide.

“And sometimes you just got to do the right thing. I think the right thing in this position is not to be endorsing, you know, a candidate that is that is under those potential very serious charges,” the governor said.

Caruso’s name is still on the Nov. 3 ballot, Alison Novoa, spokesperson for the county supervisor of elections, confirmed. His opponent is Boca Raton City Councilmember Yvette Drucker.

Caruso is running to retain the office to which DeSantis had appointed him.

DeSantis suspended Caruso following his arrest in August. An Orange County trial judge authorized his release on a $160,000 bond, the Orlando Sentinel reported.

“For the record, our Voter Guide originally listed every Republican nominee on the ballot, as we are required to do by Florida Statute. As soon as we were permitted to remove the nominee running for a constitutional office, we did,” the local party said on social media.

“I appreciate the @PalmBeachGOP doing the right thing,” Republican Party of Florida Chair Evan Power wrote on X.

U.S. Sen. Rick Scott wrote on X, “This is disgusting. Mike Caruso should IMMEDIATELY withdraw. The people of Palm Beach deserve better.”

DeSantis said Caruso is entitled to the presumption of innocence but “that does not mean a political party should just support someone by default rather than take a look at the circumstances of the situation.”

He continued: “But from our perspective, for a Republican Party, why would you want to be doing an endorsement under those circumstances?

“I think there were circumstances that warranted his removal from his position, and he had been a state rep, and then had been in the clerk’s office. So, so, so, when I was presented with that, I made the right decision there, and I think that party is fine, but it’s not the end-all, be-all,” the governor said.

“And yes, criminally, you know, the process is going to play out. And he does deserve the presumption of innocence there. But in the political context, to have been removed from office because there was sufficient evidence to do it, to me, you know, that’s enough to say no dice.”