On November 24, 2025, the political landscape in Florida shifted as James Fishback, a 30-year-old investment firm CEO from the rural Panhandle, officially entered the state’s heated governor’s race. With a dramatic announcement in Tallahassee, Fishback launched a campaign that has already stirred controversy, drawing sharp lines between himself and the current Republican frontrunner, Congressman Byron Donalds, who enjoys the coveted endorsement of former President Donald Trump.
Fishback, a self-described fourth-generation Floridian and political newcomer, wasted no time making headlines. In both his campaign video and remarks to reporters, he took direct aim at Donalds, not just questioning his record but employing language that immediately drew criticism. "Byron Donalds is a slave," Fishback declared, elaborating online that, "Byron Donalds is a slave to his corporate donors. It’s the truth." Donalds, who would become Florida’s first Black governor if elected, did not address the remark directly, but his campaign was quick to dismiss Fishback as a "RINO," or Republican in name only. "Byron Donalds will be Florida’s next governor because he is the proven conservative fighter endorsed by President Trump," said Ryan Smith, Donalds’ chief strategist, adding, "Anyone running against him is an anti-Trump RINO and will get crushed in the Republican primary," as reported by CNN.
The race to succeed outgoing Governor Ron DeSantis, who is barred from seeking re-election in 2026, is shaping up to be a crowded and contentious affair. Fishback is not alone in challenging Donalds; former House Speaker Paul Renner and several other Republicans have also entered the fray, though DeSantis himself has yet to endorse a successor. Rumors swirl that his wife, Casey DeSantis, or Lieutenant Governor Jay Collins could still join the contest, keeping the field unsettled.
Fishback’s campaign is built on a hard-right platform echoing many of the culture-war themes that have defined the DeSantis era. He has pledged to eliminate property taxes on homesteaded properties, arguing, "In America, you don’t rent your home from the government; you own it free and clear." He’s also taken a strong stand against legal and illegal immigration, especially H-1B visas, which allow American companies to hire foreign workers with specialized skills. "No more of this great replacement, no more of this getting fired and replaced by foreigners. We are going to stand up for Floridians. We're going to put Florida first, and we're not going to apologize for it," Fishback said during his campaign launch, according to Florida Politics.
His announcement video included a close-up of a monument to Confederate soldiers in Jackson County, Florida, and Fishback made statements defending Florida’s slaveholding past, saying, "I’m a proud American who will never apologize for our history." These moves, as noted by CNN, appear aimed at energizing the GOP’s most passionate voters, who are overwhelmingly white, and reflect a broader trend among some Republican leaders to stoke grievances around race and history.
Fishback’s background is as unconventional as his campaign. Born in Davie, Florida, to a Colombian immigrant mother and a father who lost his business to what Fishback describes as "foreign workers who broke the law to come into the country," he attended public schools before enrolling at Georgetown University. He dropped out at 21 to launch his own hedge fund, Macrovoyant, later working at Greenlight Capital and then founding Azoria Partners LLC. Fishback also founded Incubate Debate, a free debate league for Florida students, which was acquired by the Koch family’s Bill of Rights Institute.
But Fishback’s professional life has not been without controversy. He’s currently embroiled in a lawsuit with Greenlight Capital, which accuses him of misrepresenting his role at the firm to attract investors to Azoria Partners. The hedge fund alleges that Fishback claimed to have been "head of macro," a title they say never existed, and that he breached agreements by sharing confidential information and maintaining an undisclosed personal trading account. In March 2024, a judge ordered Fishback to pay nearly $230,000 in the dispute, and in September, Fishback admitted to sharing confidential company data at least 33 times, according to a joint court filing cited by MarketWatch and Bloomberg. Fishback denies any wrongdoing, attributing the lawsuits to political smears from opponents.
His candidacy has also been shadowed by questions about his political connections and ambitions. According to ABC News, Fishback persistently lobbied Trump and his advisers for a seat on the Federal Reserve Board, circulating memos touting himself as a potential "bulldog fighter" on monetary policy. Senior officials, however, said Fishback exaggerated his chances, and he was never seriously considered. Fishback has also faced scrutiny for overstating his ties to Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a brief moment of viral fame after he suggested the idea of "DOGE Dividends"—$5,000 payments to Americans funded by government savings. Multiple sources told ABC News that Fishback never held an official or informal advisory role with Musk or DOGE, and one former official called the idea "laughable."
Despite never having held or run for public office before, Fishback insists his campaign is serious and not a mere spoiler. Pressed by reporters about his chances against a well-funded frontrunner, Fishback argued that Donalds is underperforming. "Byron Donald has been in this race now for nine months, and as you all know, he is losing in the polls. He is losing to a candidate that you all may know. It's a very fire brand candidate. It's called undecided," he quipped to the Tallahassee press corps.
Fishback’s platform is a grab bag of populist proposals. In addition to his anti-immigration and anti-property tax stances, he wants to block AI data centers in Florida, warning they could threaten the state’s water supply and drive up electricity bills. He’s also pledged to prevent companies like Blackstone and Airbnb, as well as foreign buyers, from purchasing Florida housing, declaring, "our homes are for families." As he embarks on a planned 67-county tour, Fishback faces the daunting challenge of raising enough funds to compete in Florida’s expensive media markets.
Democrats, meanwhile, are watching the Republican infighting with interest. The Democratic Governors Association called the early GOP contest "a nasty and chaotic civil war," with spokesperson Kevin Donohoe noting, "Republicans have turned Florida into the 49th least affordable state in the country, and now all they are offering voters is infighting and a nasty race to the right."
With the Republican primary scheduled for August 18, 2026, the race is still in its early days. Yet, the entry of James Fishback—brash, controversial, and untested—has already ensured that Florida’s gubernatorial contest will be one to watch, with no shortage of drama or debate.
