James Fishback, who lost against Republican gubernatorial candidate Byron Donalds in the Republican primary, stated the governor's race Wednesday, emphasizing his lack of endorsement for Representative Donalds (R-19).
"Today, I am witholding my endorsement of Byron Donalds," Fishback said in the written statement posted to X. "His choice to attack the nearly 200,000 Floridians who supported our campaign does not help Republicans win on November 3rd."
My Statement on the Florida Governor's Race https://t.co/siFWpUXKbU
— James Fishback (@jamesfishback) October 14, 2026
Fishback is referring to a clip from a Politico interview that implied Rep. Donalds did not care about the people who voted for Fishback in the primary.
However, he clarified his statements in an X post Wednesday, saying, "What I actually said was: I don’t care who you voted for in the primary. I want to earn the vote of every Floridian. I care about making Florida less expensive, and I care about making sure that young people in this state can buy a home and start a family. That’s why I’m running for Governor."
What I actually said was: I don’t care who you voted for in the primary. I want to earn the vote of every Floridian. I care about making Florida less expensive, and I care about making sure that young people in this state can buy a home and start a family. That’s why I’m running for Governor.
Make no mistake: Liberal David Jolly and the radical Democrats will make life harder for young people and make it harder to get ahead.
— Byron Donalds (@ByronDonalds) October 14, 2026
In his statement, Fishback said Donalds' comments in the interview were disappointing, and set three guidelines for Donalds to earn his endorsement ahead of the November midterms. Including pledging to:
- End the use of Flock Safety cameras and automated license plate readers in Florida.
- Eliminate hiring of H1-B foreign workers by state agencies and contractors.
- Enact an immediate moratorium on hyperscale AI data centers.
"I want to be clear," Fishback wrote in the statement. "I want good conservatives to win on November 3rd."
