Ana Navarro says she stays Republican to vote in Florida primaries
On Tuesday, Oct. 7, Ana Navarro told actor Michael Douglas on ABC’s The View that she stays registered as a Republican in order to vote in Florida’s closed primary elections.
“I live in Florida where the primaries are closed, and I want to be able to vote in the primaries and vote against those sons of b—‑es,” Navarro said, laughing with the audience. The comment underscored her belief that retaining the party label gives her a lever to influence the state’s candidate selection.
Navarro, a former Republican strategist and vocal critic of Donald Trump, has faced repeated criticism from conservatives for championing policies that echo those of her left‑leaning co‑hosts. She has publicly supported free‑trade initiatives, a robust foreign‑policy posture and a pro‑immigration stance, positions she says align with an “old‑fashioned Republican” outlook she first described in 2019 while backing Jeb Bush’s 2016 presidential bid.
Her political flexibility has drawn scrutiny. In 2024, Navarro co‑hosted the Democratic National Convention and endorsed former Vice President Kamala Harris. Last month, she urged View viewers to back a Democratic candidate in a pivotal Florida congressional race, prompting Republican consultant Mary Marslender to label her a “token fake Republican” whose GOP card serves only to secure media appearances.
Navarro pushed back against such attacks during an interview with Entertainment Weekly, arguing that anyone who mirrors Donald Trump’s rhetoric does not represent a “traditional Republican.” She said she refuses “to be lectured about what a Republican is or isn’t.”
Florida’s closed‑primary system means only voters who are registered with a party may cast a ballot in that party’s primary. By maintaining her registration, Navarro can vote for GOP candidates she views as more moderate or aligned with her policy preferences, potentially shaping the party’s direction in a swing‑state battleground.
The discussion resurfaced a recurring theme on The View: Navarro’s willingness to challenge both sides of the aisle while maintaining her party affiliation. In a 2022 exchange with co‑host Sunny Hostin, Navarro compared party loyalty to her Catholic faith, saying, “Why are you still a Catholic? You don’t agree with everything about the Catholic Church.”
As the 2026 midterm cycle approaches, Navarro’s strategy highlights the nuanced role that media personalities can play in electoral politics, especially in states where primary rules limit participation to party members.
