The Purple Heart-awarded “Chuck Norris of Florida politics” delivered a stirring message on resiliency and what the Republican Party and Americans “should choose to do.”
“Warriors, leaders, get up and fight.”
(Video Credit: Fox News Digital)
While some in GOP circles treated the outcome of the midterm elections as a cause for assigning blame or, even worse, as motivation to double down on avoiding the priorities of their voters, others sought solutions and paths to future victory. Counted among the latter was outgoing Florida Lt. Gov. Jay Collins (R), who pointed to his own state’s success in staving off the worst of the blue wave as proof, “Florida is a blueprint.”
During an interview with Fox News Digital, Collins made clear, “Where we go from here is up to us as a Republican Party.”
“This can be a definitive death blow if we allow it to be, but I believe in what we stand for,” he went on as he told the outlet, “I believe in our Constitution. I believe in our Founding Fathers’ vision. I believe that God blessed this nation. I think we have to knuckle down, learn, apply this, and we have come out with a relentless dedication and fury to focus on what matters: To lead our state, to lead our country, and be what we need to be for the American people.”
“That is what we should choose to do,” asserted the outgoing executive, who reminded, “Hard times happen. Warriors, leaders get up and fight. That’s what we have to do now.”
Unlike Georgia, Iowa, Nevada, Ohio, and Texas, where the gubernatorial races resulted in severe down-ballot losses for Republicans, Florida voters held the line against the blue wave while unapologetically pushing a conservative agenda featuring smaller government with law and order alongside secure borders while rooting out discrimination and indoctrination throughout the institutions.
“Florida’s been the road map,” said Collins. “I think we’ve been what I call the conservative proving grounds. I think that it’s time for many here in Florida to use our voice and to be out there and help our party get back on their feet. Be resilient. Yeah, man, you got popped. You got hurt. Get back up, dust it off, and let’s go lead. Let’s learn.”
“I think Florida is a blueprint. I think we have a responsibility to lead,” he reiterated while arguing that campaigns across the country have not spent enough time reaching out to no-party-affiliated voters (NPAs).
Harkening back to his own success running for state Senate in Tampa before he was appointed Gov. Ron DeSantis’ lieutenant, Collins stated, “We didn’t talk to a single Republican out there. We only knocked NPAs and light Ds, and we won by 10. What does that tell you? In a community like Tampa, I didn’t hide from my views. I told people I’m conservative, I’m a Republican.”
He also asserted people agree more than they disagree, “but you have got to be willing to step in there and have that conversation.”
Aiming to combine the welcoming big tent with a “stand on our conservative values,” Collins spoke to unity on September 12, 2001, in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attack. “When we rowed the boat, our enemy was fearful. They were on their heels because they saw an absolute juggernaut standing righteously to defend our people and our way of life. What our enemy fears, what other nations fear, is Americans coming together.”
The lieutenant governor also spoke to the need to look forward instead of getting hung up on the most recent failure as he told Fox News Digital, “Let’s not fight the last war. Let’s understand the operational environment. Let’s understand our gaps, our weaknesses, and how we can clearly address those. And then we’re going to have to move with a righteous fury.”
Native of Brooklyn, NY, Kevin Haggerty is a graduate of Hunter College where he studied Cultural Anthropology and Geography. An avid reader and truth seeker, he currently resides in Texas with his wife and their dog and, when he isn't researching current events and their impacts, you'll find him spending time with friends and family or working on his next novel.
- DeSantis turns fire on conservative media after GOP losses: ‘A lot of that is a grift’ - November 9, 2026
- Florida Republican delivers post-election wake-up call to GOP: Stop mourning and start fighting - November 9, 2026
- Former Trump adviser claims White House staff treated president ‘like a baby’ — and used him - November 9, 2026
Comment
We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. If a comment is spam, instead of replying to it please click the ∨ icon below and to the right of that comment. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.