On the heels of announcing his 2026 gubernatorial bid, James Fishback is hitting the ground running. In an exclusive interview with The Floridian, Fishback discussed his vision for Florida, promising to build off the accomplishments of Governor Ron DeSantis.
“I am running to succeed Governor DeSantis, who is the greatest Governor in the history of Florida,” Fishback said.
In his eyes, the Governor has provided the perfect “playbook” for him to build from. Whether it's education or cracking down on child predators, Fishback highlighted that Governor DeSantis has been “the greatest partner that Trump could have at the state level for the mass deportation effort.”
If Floridians elect Fishback in 2026, he would not “reinvent the wheel.” Instead, the gubernatorial hopeful vows “to keep that wheel turning.”
Taking a “more novel” approach, he noted that he plans “to build on an affordability mandate.”
At a time when Floridians are struggling to buy groceries, pay for property taxes, and face rising insurance costs, Fishback believes that his mandate is to make Florida more affordable.
“If you can’t afford a home, can you get married? If you can’t get married, can you have kids? If you can’t have kids, then what is the point?” Fishback questioned, calling the issue “existential.”
“When my father was growing up in Broward County in the 1960s, half of 30-year-old men were married and owned their home,” Fishback explained. “Today, less than 15% of 30-year-old men are married and own their home. And so, if I’m going to be judged on one thing as Florida Governor – hopefully for a full eight years – it is that I will have brought that number closer to 50%.”
To get to the Governor’s Mansion, however, Fishback must first win the Republican Primary, which includes challengers like Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) and potential challengers like Lieutenant Governor Jay Collins.
The current frontrunner in the race is Rep. Donalds, who joined with President Donald Trump’s endorsement, and who is reported to have more than $30 million in his war chest. Despite that, Fishback isn’t worried, suggesting that Rep. Donalds’ policies will sink his campaign.
“What fortunately wins the race is not dollars raised but votes counted,” Fishback responded when questioned about fundraising efforts to remain competitive. “Byron Donalds has raised that money because he is a slave to his corporate donors.”
Byron Donalds is Compromised?
In the weeks leading up to his announcement, Fishback aggressively criticized Rep. Donalds on social media. Namely, much of the criticism was directed at the Florida congressman’s past comments on the H-1B visa. Now that both are vying for the top post in the state, Fishback argues that Rep. Donalds is “compromised.”
“They’ve given him money because he is going to do their bidding. He is going to keep allowing companies to fire Florida workers and replace them with cheap foreign H-1B slave labor from India and China,” Fishback added. “He is going to be in the pocket of property developers and allow them to build out AI data centers that are going to threaten to jack up our electric bills and threaten our water supply.”
Citing that Rep. Donalds want to make Florida the “financial capital,” Fishback affirms that doing so would lead to disastrous results.
“I’ve been to some of the 'financial capitals,'” he recounted. “I’ve been to New York; the traffic is awful. I’ve been to Hong Kong; the traffic is awful. I’ve been to Dubai; the traffic is awful. I have yet to meet a Floridian who has stopped me to say, ‘will you please commit to making us the financial capital?.’”
Instead, Fishback believes that Floridians prefer an alternative vision for the Sunshine State.
“We want to be the capital of agriculture. We want to be the capital of farming. The capital of citrus. The capital of cattle. The capital of raising a family. The capital of looking out for the dignity of our neighbors,” he commented. “That is what we want to strive for, and I’m afraid that Byron Donalds is out of touch.”
Further drawing a distinction between himself and Rep. Donalds, Fishback noted that he’s turned down corporate interests, suggesting that taking money means compromising against Floridians.
“The more money Byron Donalds raises in corporate interests, the more compromised he is,” Fishback commented.
Raising Campaign Cash
As such, he argues that Rep. Donalds’ fundraising efforts signal growing concern for his campaign.
“He’s gonna run down and host another big fundraiser that’s gonna cost $50,000 a person. That is the average annual take-home salary in our state,” Fishback noted. “He’s charging $50,000 to have dinner with him and his wife. If he does that, what is he doing? He’s showing that our campaign is a real threat.”
Shortly after Fishback announced his candidacy, Ryan Smith, the Chief Strategist for the Byron Donalds for Governor Campaign, released a statement, assuring that “Byron Donalds will be Florida’s next governor because… Anyone running against him is an anti-Trump RINO and will get crushed in the Republican primary.”
Fishback, who plans to visit all 67 counties in the next couple of months, held a press conference in Tallahassee on Monday, November 24, fielding questions from reporters over his gubernatorial bid.
"Byron Donalds has not held a single press conference in Tallahassee since entering the Governor's race," he observed. "Floridians want a Governor who will take tough questions, and I will be that person to earn their trust."
