Former Congressman Jim Davis said Florida lawmakers should stick to their guns on the presidential primary scheduled for Jan. 29. The Democratic National Committee refuses to recognize the primary and seat Florida delegates at the national convention.

"The DNC made a huge mistake," Davis said Tuesday before a speech at a meeting of the Tampa Bay chapter of the Democratic Professionals Council.

The measure simply punishes the voters, not the state party or lawmakers who are to blame, he said. Davis also said the Democratic presidential candidates should defy the party's edict and campaign in Florida.

"I wish they would take a position as a matter of principle," he said. And doing so would behoove the candidates, he said. Whoever wins the nomination will need the support of Floridians, and they should get their messages out and develop support long before the general election, he said. Davis also offered this assessment of the slate of current presidential candidates: "Almost anybody running for president will do better than this president."