The Republican Party of Palm Beach County in Florida removed a candidate facing child sex abuse charges from its voter guide, hours after Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) commented on the party’s endorsement of the embattled politician.
Mike Caruso, who is running for reelection as clerk of the Circuit Court and comptroller in Palm Beach County, is accused of molesting an underage family member. Following his arrest in August, Caruso was suspended from his post by the governor.
Caruso remained on the county’s official voter guide until late Monday.
“For the record, our guide originally listed every Republican nominee, as Florida Statute requires,” the Palm Beach GOP said on social media. “As soon as we were permitted to remove the nominee running for a constitutional office, we did.”
Earlier Monday, DeSantis and other prominent Florida Republicans expressed their disappointment regarding the county party’s support of Caruso.
“We serve our party best by putting our citizens, state and country first,” DeSantis posted on X. “Disappointing to see this endorsement. Some things are bigger than party.”
Notably, Republican Party of Florida Chairman Evan Power urged the local party to withdraw its voter guide initially featuring Caruso.
“The [Florida GOP] has been consistent on asking Mike Caruso to step aside,” Power said. “There has been no official endorsement, our team asked the Palm Beach GOP to take down its voter guide-they obliged. We renew our call for Mike Caruso to withdraw from the race.”
As of Tuesday, Caruso said he has no intention of dropping out of the race as he battles the salacious allegations.
“Mike maintains his innocence, remains the Republican nominee for Palm Beach County clerk and comptroller, and intends to remain in the race through the November election,” a spokesperson for Caruso said. “He intends to win, and if elected, he intends to take office and continue serving the people of Palm Beach County.”
Though Caruso remains the Republican nominee, Palm Beach County Republicans indicated they didn’t want him on the November ballot by selecting Tom Sutterfield as a possible replacement. Because Caruso didn’t withdraw, the replacement process didn’t happen.
“Mike believes he remains the most qualified and experienced candidate for the position,” the spokesperson said. “Ultimately, the decision belongs to the voters.”
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The Republican candidate faces five felony charges related to kidnapping, molestation, and child abuse. The victim was a relative under 12 years old at the time of the incident.
Caruso served in the Florida House of Representatives from 2018 to 2025 before transitioning to his role as clerk of the Circuit Court and comptroller last year. He held that position for exactly one year before DeSantis suspended him.