Layla Collins spars with conservative influencer Jenna Ellis

The race for the Republican gubernatorial nomination continues to devolve into personal attacks, with family members and surrogates of candidates jumping into the fray.

Saturday provided the latest example, as Florida’s Second Lady Layla Collins exchanged critical tweets with conservative commentator Jenna Ellis, who supports former House Speaker Paul Renner in the race.

Supporters of other candidates have focused scrutiny on Lt. Gov. Jay Collins‘ son from his first marriage, Tremayne Collins, for months. They have suggested that the LG, whose speeches are heavy with autobiographical detail, is conspicuously silent on his first-born son.

On Saturday, Layla Collins responded.

“I’ve contemplated whether I should respond to these despicable lies, but this behavior has led to attacking our children and doxing them. This is just another false narrative a few have created as a sad attempt to influence decisions and the narrative. It’s sad, despicable and failing,” she said.

“Jay has always supported his family,” Layla Collins continued. “ALL of our children are loved equally and included in our public political life to the degree that they are comfortable. That’s called respect. We will never attack the children of any candidate in any race. It’s classless. Paul Renner, good men wouldn’t condone their primary surrogates attacking families and children?”

Tremayne Collins went through much of his childhood separated from the LG, but still says he values his biological father.

“This is my biological dad who I’m fortunate to still have around. Due to uncontrollables, he wasn’t in my life till I was 13 or so, but he’s living proof of nature vs nurture,” Collins said.

We have reached out to Tremayne Collins in the hopes of an interview to get more clarity on his side of the story.

Ellis augmented the controversy ahead of Layla Collins’ response.

“You claim to be a family man but I heard you disowned your son from your first marriage,” she posted to X. “So why doesn’t he talk about his first son? Or is he like Biden, only acknowledging the family members who are convenient to his political campaign?”

After Layla Collins responded, she had more to say.

“‘Our children’… so only yours with Jay? I’m confused. Does he have a relationship with his oldest son or not? I’m not for anyone doxxing anyone, I don’t know anything about that, but I am for truth when Jay is holding himself out as a ‘family man.’ And to be clear — I’m not anyone’s surrogate or campaign spox. I don’t work for any campaigns. If you want to deal with classless campaign influencers, start with your own house and John Cardillo,” she said, referring to Collins’ highly paid consultant.

Jay Collins and Paul Renner share more policy positions than not, and both have presented themselves as the heir to Gov. Ron DeSantis’ legacy and the credible alternative to front-runner Byron Donalds. With DeSantis’ endorsement not forthcoming anytime soon and both candidates in single digits in polls, it remains to be seen if any of this helps either side.

For his part, the candidate himself is avoiding all of this personal drama as of Saturday afternoon.

He posted to social media that his campaign is not going to “pull punches” about Donalds, amplifying personal attacks on the Congressman from Naples.