Luis Valdes, Florida State Director for the gun lobbying group Gun Owners of America, filmed a brief interview with Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey. When Valdes asked Ivey, “You support open carry, right?” the sheriff replied, “I have from the very beginning.” The Sheriff added: “I’d love to see it come up this year in the legislature.”
Note: Most states allow open carry of firearms, but with varying restrictions. The state of Florida currently prohibits open carry of firearms in public, as does New York, California, Illinois and South Carolina.
“We were blessed to get constitutional carry, permit-less carry, but I’ve always been for open carry. I always will be,” Ivey said. He also said he believes the majority of sheriffs would agree with him: “We need it. We want it.”
I asked @SheriffIvey, Florida’s best sheriff, if he supports open carry—he said he’d “love to see it come up this year in the legislature.”
He also said most @FLSheriffs support it!
Yet @Sen_Albritton, the @FLSenateGOP leader claims “cops are against it.” So, which is it?
pic.twitter.com/0ZTMStrpZN
— Luis Valdes (@RealFLGunLobby) January 30, 2025
When Valdes shared the video on X, he tagged Republican Florida Senate President Ben Albritton, who is against open carry in the Sunshine State, and asked Albritton, “So, which is it?”
When asked about the issue in November, Albritton cited opposition to open carry from law-enforcement officials.
“Let me be clear about this, I’ve supported law enforcement my entire life. It’s the way I was raised, and I’ve been super-consistent as a legislator to support law enforcement in Florida. And I’d encourage you to check that record,” Albritton told reporters. “And I stand with them today in opposition. They oppose it. I trust my law-enforcement officials, and that’s where I stand.”
It’s time for the Free State of Florida to join other states in enacting open carry! Sounds like a great priority for our GOP supermajority. This is the year. https://t.co/BxegNo746f
— Casey DeSantis (@CaseyDeSantis) January 31, 2025
Lining up against Albritton, Governor Ron DeSantis amplified Valdes’ video and added: “Would be great to see it hit my desk — Florida needs to join the overwhelming majority of states and protect this right…”
DeSantis’s wife, Casey DeSantis, also amplified the video and wrote: “It’s time for the Free State of Florida to join other states in enacting open carry! Sounds like a great priority for our GOP supermajority. This is the year.”
Note: Ever since the Republican Party of Sarasota honored Mrs. DeSantis with the Stateswoman of the Year award in 2023, rumors have swirled about the possibility of her running for governor in 2026 when her husband is not eligible due to term limits.
Note: Governor DeSantis accepted the same award — albeit “Statesman of the Year” — in 2021; and past recipients include Donald Trump, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and former Vice President Dick Cheney, among others.
NBC News reported Thursday that Mrs. DeSantis is considering a run for Florida Governor in 2026 following discussions with top Republican donors. Note: MAGA Rep. Byron Donalds has said he is considering for governor, too.