Governor & Lieutenant Governor
Florida's chief executive. Signs or vetoes bills, proposes the state budget, appoints agency heads and judges, and manages emergencies such as hurricanes. Gov. Ron DeSantis is term-limited. Term: 4 years.
How we verified who is on the ballot
Third pass (Sept 17, 2026): verified against the Sumter County Supervisor of Elections' official 2026 General Election sample ballot, which lists eight Governor/Lieutenant Governor tickets in this order: Byron Donalds/Bryan Avila (REP), David Jolly/Gwen Graham (DEM), Scott Eckhard Jewett/Nicole Skelly (LPF), Charles Burkett/Ruben A. Coto (NPA), Frank J. Russo/Rachel Rodriguez (NPA), Moliere 'Moe' Dimanche/Benjiman Rojas (NPA), Dean Ocean Abrams/Joe Van Vactor (NPA) and Jeffrey Peter 'Dr. Jeff' Datto/Juan Santana (NPA), followed by a write-in line (two write-in tickets qualified; their names are not printed). Desmond Meade, who withdrew Aug. 28, 2026, does not appear on the ballot.
Candidates
A candidate marked "Withdrew" ended their campaign after qualifying. Their name may still be printed on the ballot; votes for a withdrawn candidate are not counted. They are excluded from match results.
Byron Donalds with Bryan Avila (state senator, Miami)
Byron Donalds is a Republican U.S. Representative for Florida's 19th Congressional District (Southwest Florida), first elected in 2020 after serving in the Florida House. He announced his campaign for governor in February 2025 with President Trump's endorsement. He won the Aug. 18, 2026 Republican primary with about 4…
David Jolly with Gwen Graham (former U.S. Representative)
David Jolly is a former U.S. Representative for Florida's 13th District (Pinellas County), serving 2014-2017 as a Republican. He later left the Republican Party, became an independent and then registered as a Democrat before running for governor. He won the Aug. 18, 2026 Democratic primary with about 61% of the vote. …
Scott Eckhard Jewett with Nicole Skelly (Milton, FL; construction business owner)
Scott Eckhard Jewett is the Libertarian Party of Florida's nominee for governor; the national Libertarian Party announced his filing in 2025 and he announced a 'Libertarian 2.0' bid in November 2025. His campaign says he brings a decade of government experience and brands his platform 'Humanitarian Libertarianism,' co…
Dean Ocean Abrams with Joe Van Vactor (teacher and Air Force veteran, per Politics1)
Dean Abrams is a Sarasota-based NPA candidate who describes himself as not a career politician. He says he spent three decades in enterprise technology and management consulting with Microsoft, HP, KPMG and other firms, and helped rebuild New York City first responders' emergency communications after Sept. 11. He qual…
Charles W. Burkett with Ruben A. Coto (Surfside town commissioner and businessman)
Charles Burkett was born and raised in Miami Beach, graduated from the University of Miami with a finance degree and founded a real estate investment firm. He served four terms as Mayor of Surfside (2006-2010, 2020-2022, 2024-2026), including during the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2021 Champlain Towers South collapse. H…
Jeffrey Peter "Dr. Jeff" Datto with Juan Santana (nonprofit executive and property manager, per Politics1)
Jeffrey P. 'Dr. Jeff' Datto describes himself on his campaign page as a neuroscientist, father and founder of dattoai.com, residing in Hialeah. He qualified as one of six NPA candidates for governor when qualifying closed June 12, 2026. No detailed issue platform was found in this research session.
Moliere "Moe" Dimanche with Benjiman Rojas (phone repair technician, per Politics1)
Moliere 'Moe' Dimanche (born 1987) is a Haitian American artist, author and prison-reform activist who served nearly 10 years in Florida prisons. He qualified as an NPA candidate for governor in June 2026. His campaign, branded 'No MOE Corruption,' identifies public corruption as the greatest danger to democracy.
Desmond Meade
Desmond Meade is president of the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition and led the 2018 Amendment 4 campaign that restored voting rights to most Floridians with past felony convictions; he is a MacArthur Fellow. He declared an NPA candidacy on May 28, 2026 and qualified in June 2026. WITHDREW: On Aug. 28, 2026 he sent…
Frank J. Russo with Rachel Rodriguez (attorney; earlier a 2026 Republican candidate for governor, per Politics1)
Frank J. Russo describes himself as a lifelong Floridian with more than 40 years of business leadership, including development projects such as the Queen's Gambit Castle and relief programs for children, veterans and families. He announced an NPA run on April 14, 2026 under a 'People First - Humanity Over the Dollar' …
Side-by-side on the major issues
AgreeDiffer a littleDiffer stronglyNot enough data· hover for details, click to jump to the row
Taxes & spendingProperty taxesProperty insuranceHousing affordabilityImmigrationAbortionGunsHealth careEducation & school choiceEnvironment & waterGrowth & developmentMarijuanaElections & votingCrime & policingGender identity lawsEnergy & utilitiesTrump administrationVeterans
Where the candidates in this race split, issue by issue.
Strongly agreesLeans agreeMixed / neutralLeans disagreeStrongly disagreesNo public position found
Each row is a statement. The chips show how each candidate's stated positions or record relate to that statement. Expand a row to read the evidence and sources. "No public position found" means we could not find a statement or record on the topic, not that the candidate has none.
| Issue | Byron Donalds Republican | David Jolly Democratic | Scott Eckhard Jewett Libertarian | Dean Ocean Abrams No Party Affiliation | Charles W. Burkett No Party Affiliation | Jeffrey Peter "Dr. Jeff" Datto No Party Affiliation | Moliere "Moe" Dimanche No Party Affiliation | Desmond Meade No Party Affiliation | Frank J. Russo No Party Affiliation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taxes & spendingCutting taxes should be a top priority, even if it means less government spending on services. | Strongly agrees· stated position Donalds has made tax reduction a centerpiece: he says he will use the state Tax and Budget Reform Commission, which convenes in 2027, to 'study all taxes and fees in Florida' with the goal of eliminating homestead property taxes, and he pitches his campaign around affordability. | Leans disagree· stated position Jolly says tax relief must be paired with revenue to fund services ('we need the math to work') and has criticized Republican leaders as 'willing to starve critically needed services in the name of tax relief.' His agenda prioritizes new spending on public schools, teacher pay and Medicaid expansion rather than broad tax cuts. | Strongly agrees· stated position Promises 'a streamlined, efficient government, low taxes, and a free-market economy' while supporting 'essential social programs' for those in need. | No public position found | Strongly agrees· stated position Platform calls for eliminating homestead property taxes, reducing tolls and gas taxes, and cutting government spending and bureaucracy. | No public position found | No public position found | No public position found | No public position found |
| Property taxesFlorida should eliminate or sharply reduce homestead property taxes, even if local governments must cut services or find other revenue. | Strongly agrees· stated position Donalds says that whether or not the November 2026 property-tax amendment (Amendment 3) passes, he will push to eliminate homestead property taxes through the Tax and Budget Reform Commission; at a Tampa stop he said he would move to eliminate all property taxes. He has since said that if broad relief is not fiscally possible, relief would be targeted to seniors on fixed incomes and working families. | Leans disagree· stated position Jolly opposes eliminating homestead property taxes without replacement revenue and says the 2026 Amendment 3 push puts 'a very popular amendment to repeal property taxes without an answer for the needed revenue' before voters, which he says would create 'a great crisis in the state.' He instead proposes 'generational property tax reform' centered on a new homestead exemption for first-time homebuyers to offset Save Our Homes caps. Sources: Gubernatorial candidates offer different paths to Florida p… (2026-09) · Byron Donalds to Face David Jolly in Florida Governor's Rac… (2026-08) · Gubernatorial candidate David Jolly speaks on housing, prop… (2025-06-09) · In bid for governor, Renner and Jolly discuss property tax … (2025-11-10) | Strongly agrees· stated position Jewett's platform calls for ending property taxes on homesteaded homes. | No public position found | Strongly agrees· stated position Proposes eliminating property taxes on homesteaded homes. | No public position found | Strongly agrees· stated position Says 'property taxes on Floridians' homesteads infringes on ownership rights' and promises to eliminate homestead property taxation. | No public position found | No public position found |
| Property insuranceThe state should intervene more directly in the property-insurance market (rate caps, expanding Citizens, stricter insurer regulation) rather than relying mainly on market-based reforms. | Strongly disagrees· stated position Donalds' six-point 'Bring Down The Bill' plan relies on market-based measures: keep the 2022-23 litigation (tort) reforms, lower reinsurance costs, an 'Insurer Scorecard' comparison tool, mitigation grants like My Safe Florida Home, and keeping Citizens Property Insurance's policy count low. He says regulatory changes could lower rates up to 20% 'with the risk staying off the state's books,' and he criticizes Jolly's state catastrophe-fund idea as shifting risk to taxpayers. Sources: Jolly and Donalds clash on property insurance proposals (Fl… (2026-09-16) · Donalds unveils 'Bring Down The Bill' insurance plan (Flori… (2026-09) · Byron Donalds claims David Jolly's insurance plan 'shifts t… (2026-09) · Fact Check: Where candidates Donalds and Jolly stand on pro… (2026-09) | Strongly agrees· stated position Jolly proposes a state catastrophic insurance fund that would take hurricane/wind coverage out of the private market, which he says could reduce homeowners' insurance costs by 60% to 70%. He disputes the Donalds campaign's claim that the plan means a $1,000 'hurricane tax,' saying no detailed plan with such a charge has been published. | Leans disagree· stated position Calls homeowners' insurance his clearest priority and proposes regulatory changes, insurance cooperatives and litigation reform rather than rate caps; he cites $43 billion in premiums paid against $7 billion in repair payouts. | No public position found | Leans disagree· stated position Would 'rewrite the broken laws and bring radical competition into the property and auto insurance market,' with more deductible options and property-tax offsets for hurricane hardening, rather than rate caps or expanding Citizens. | No public position found | No public position found | No public position found | No public position found |
| Housing affordabilityGovernment should do more to make housing affordable (subsidies, zoning changes, rent measures). | Leans agree· stated position Donalds' housing plan focuses on supply-side measures: cutting permitting timelines and regulatory costs (which he says can be about 30% of a new home's cost), loosening local zoning restraints (he has urged Miami-Dade to 'get creative'), and repurposing unused public land for homes. He pairs this with his property-tax elimination goal; no support for subsidies or rent measures was found. | Strongly agrees· stated position Jolly's affordability plan calls for expanded affordable-housing programs and renter protections, a first-time homebuyer homestead exemption, and no-interest state-backed loans to help condo associations and owners pay special assessments and structural-repair costs; he ties housing costs to property insurance and proposes a state catastrophe fund. | No public position found | Leans agree· stated position Platform calls for 'Wall Street out of single-family homes' and making housing and health care more affordable; no zoning or subsidy specifics found. | Leans disagree· stated position Would 'stop building new housing until we can absorb the number of residents we currently have' and repeal the Live Local Act, which preempts local zoning for affordable housing. | No public position found | No public position found | No public position found | No public position found |
| ImmigrationImmigration enforcement should be stricter, including large-scale deportation of people in the country illegally. | Strongly agrees· stated position Donalds' 'Zero Tolerance' public-safety agenda would mandate full cooperation between state/local agencies and federal immigration authorities, ban sanctuary policies statewide and reserve taxpayer benefits for citizens and legal residents. He defended Florida's 'Alligator Alcatraz' detention facility and the state's enforcement expansion, calling the crackdown 'mission accomplished' while seeking federal repayment; in May 2026 he backed talks to wind the facility down as the federal government takes over detention. | Strongly disagrees· stated position Jolly says that if the 'Alligator Alcatraz' detention facility is still operating when he takes office he would move to close it on his first day and return the land to Miami-Dade County. He would suspend or not require the state's 287(g) agreements with ICE pending stronger due-process protections, leaving participation to local law enforcement, and says enforcement should target criminal activity rather than treating immigrant communities with suspicion. | Leans agree· stated position Would 'enforce immigration laws stringently and deter companies from hiring undocumented workers' while creating 'a streamlined and expanded work visa program.' | No public position found | Leans agree· stated position Site says 'Legal immigration is good. Uncontrolled, unvetted, unregulated, illegal immigration is bad'; no specific enforcement or deportation proposals found. | No public position found | Leans disagree· stated position Promises that 'on Day 1, Moe will permanently close Alligator Alcatraz,' the state-run immigration detention site, comparing it to Jim Crow-era practices; no broader enforcement position found. | No public position found | Mixed / neutral· stated position Immigration plank is 'Secure. Legal. Humane.' with 'stronger public safety partnerships, targeting violent criminals, traffickers and gangs'; does not state a position on large-scale deportation. |
| AbortionAbortion should be legal in most cases (Florida's six-week ban should be repealed or loosened). | Strongly disagrees· stated position Donalds has called Florida's six-week 'Heartbeat Protection Act' the 'right move' and says he would not move to change the current law; he says abortion policy should be decided by states rather than federal bans, and that there is not sufficient momentum to go further at this time. He is endorsed by Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America and Florida Voice for the Unborn. | Strongly agrees· stated position Jolly says he voted for the 2024 Amendment 4 and would work to enact its language (no restriction on abortion before viability, or when needed to protect the patient's health) into law, replacing the six-week ban. He argues the governor should act on amendments that won more than 50% of the vote. | Strongly agrees· stated position Jewett says government should stay out of abortion decisions, leaving the choice to individuals and their doctors. | No public position found | Strongly agrees· stated position Pledges to 'affirm and codify My Body, My Choice.' | No public position found | No public position found | No public position found | No public position found |
| GunsGun laws should be stricter (keep the red-flag law and the age-21 purchase rule; expand background checks) rather than looser (permitless or open carry, lower purchase age). | Strongly disagrees· stated position Donalds says 'job one' as governor would be repealing two parts of the 2018 post-Parkland law: the red-flag (risk protection order) law and the 21-year-old minimum age for long-gun purchases. He says he would also support and push for open carry and has pledged support for constitutional carry for adults 18 and older. He is endorsed by Gun Owners of America and, as of Sept. 16, 2026, the NRA. Sources: Byron Donalds says he supports repealing Florida's red-flag… (2026) · Gun policy emerges as an early flashpoint in Florida govern… (2026-08-27) · Gun Owners of America Endorses Byron Donalds for Florida Go… (2026) · Byron Donalds lands NRA endorsement for governor (Palm Beac… (2026-09-16) · Byron Donalds, who wants to be governor of Florida, support… (2026) | Strongly agrees· stated position Jolly's gun platform calls for banning the sale of assault weapons, universal background checks on every transfer, exploring firearm licensing, and preserving and expanding the 2018 post-Parkland red-flag law and 21 purchase age. He says he would test the governor's authority to challenge the court ruling allowing open carry. | Leans disagree· stated position Described as a staunch Second Amendment supporter who regards responsible gun ownership as a fundamental right; no specific position found on the red-flag law or the age-21 rule. | No public position found | No public position found | No public position found | No public position found | No public position found | No public position found |
| Health careGovernment should expand its role in health coverage (expand Medicaid in Florida, extend Affordable Care Act subsidies). | Leans disagree· stated position Donalds' 'Your Doctor, Your Price' plan requires providers to post cash prices for their top 20 services, aligns Florida's prescription-drug program with federal costs and targets pre-authorizations and surprise billing. He has questioned whether people need 'full-blown' health insurance and defended the 2025 federal budget law's Medicaid provisions as spending controls; no statement supporting Medicaid expansion in Florida was found. | Strongly agrees· stated position Jolly proposes expanding Medicaid to cover roughly 266,000 Floridians in the coverage gap and scaling up direct primary care in all 67 counties through community health centers and county clinics; he has also said the state should support ACA tax credits and rural hospitals. | No public position found | No public position found | Mixed / neutral· stated position Would 'rewrite the unaffordable, broken healthcare laws' with doctors 'not government and insurance companies, in charge,' standardized plan tiers, a state-backed medical loan fund and a physician-run state pool for extreme cases; does not address Medicaid expansion. | No public position found | No public position found | No public position found | No public position found |
| Education & school choicePublic money should follow students to private, charter or home schools (universal school vouchers). | Strongly agrees· stated position Donalds calls himself a staunch supporter of Florida's universal voucher program and proposes a 'universal scorecard' of outcomes for all schools, co-locating charter, private or parochial schools in under-enrolled district buildings, and a career-pathway plan for every student starting in sixth grade. He did not propose teacher raises in his PTA remarks. | Leans disagree· stated position Jolly says he would not end Florida's universal voucher program but would means-test it and apply public-school rules to private schools that take state money, including barring tuition increases above the voucher amount and barring schools from turning away students with disabilities. He proposes a 30% public-teacher pay raise funded by tourist-development taxes. | Strongly agrees· stated position Lists school choice among his platform priorities. | No public position found | No public position found | No public position found | No public position found | No public position found | No public position found |
| Environment & waterProtecting water quality, conservation land and climate resilience should take priority even if it slows development or raises costs. | Leans agree· stated position Donalds' platform pledges to complete Everglades restoration, improve water quality, expand water supply and protect beaches; he cites the blue-green algae blooms that hurt Southwest Florida's economy and says 'if you don't have fresh water, you have nothing.' He also favors reducing permitting regulation for housing. | Strongly agrees· stated position Jolly supports Everglades restoration, water-quality improvement and climate-resilience investment, and says he would issue an immediate moratorium on new data centers on day one, citing environmental impact, public health and real-estate effects ('let them sue if they want to'). | No public position found | Leans agree· stated position Says he will protect Florida's land and opposes 'polluted waters' and a 'corporate data-center land grab.' | Leans agree· stated position Pledges to 'demand clean water and air' and hold polluters accountable; his growth positions favor restricting new construction. | No public position found | No public position found | No public position found | No public position found |
| Growth & developmentGrowth and development should be slowed or more tightly regulated (higher impact fees, density limits, stronger local control). | Mixed / neutral· stated position Mixed: Donalds says Florida needs growth management, calling for every local government to adopt comprehensive plans that mesh with a state plan and are approved by the state, and for 'concurrency' so roads, sewers and other infrastructure are funded before development. At the same time he wants to cut permitting timelines and zoning restraints to lower housing costs. | Leans agree· stated position Jolly backs home rule, saying local zoning, labor and environmental decisions should belong to local governments without Tallahassee preemption, and he proposes a statewide moratorium on data-center development. | No public position found | Leans agree· stated position States opposition to 'unchecked development' and the data-center land grab. | Strongly agrees· stated position Calls for stopping the 'radical new construction boom,' the 'Manhattanization' and 'over-densification' of communities, choosing renovation over new construction, and allowing data centers only after a local referendum. | No public position found | No public position found | No public position found | No public position found |
| MarijuanaRecreational marijuana should be legal for adults. | Strongly disagrees· stated position Donalds says he does not support legalizing recreational marijuana and that the current medical-marijuana regulatory system is fine. | Leans agree· stated position Jolly says he personally voted against the 2024 recreational-marijuana amendment (Amendment 3) but, because it won more than 50% of the vote, he would as governor move toward regulated adult-use legalization; he was the only major candidate in a May 2026 survey to support legalization. | No public position found | No public position found | No public position found | No public position found | No public position found | No public position found | No public position found |
| Elections & votingVoting should be made easier (mail voting, drop boxes, restoring voting rights) rather than adding new restrictions. | Strongly disagrees· stated position Supports election-integrity measures including documentary proof of U.S. citizenship for federal voter registration (per Smarter.Vote's summary of his campaign positions); in Congress he voted for the SAVE Act. | Leans agree· stated position Jolly's platform says direct democracy 'should be easier, not harder,' that the governor should lead efforts to enact voter-approved amendments that clear 50% (he cites the 2018 voting-rights restoration amendment among initiatives Floridians passed), and that the state should support implementation of successful local voter initiatives. No specific statement on mail voting or drop boxes was found. | No public position found | No public position found | No public position found | No public position found | No public position found | Strongly agrees· based on record Led the 2018 Amendment 4 campaign restoring voting rights to people with past felony convictions and has spent his career on rights restoration. | No public position found |
| Crime & policingCriminal penalties should be tougher and police funding increased, rather than emphasizing reform and rehabilitation. | Strongly agrees· stated position Donalds' 'Zero Tolerance' agenda pledges to 'stand with those who serve' and give law enforcement the resources they need, strengthen officer recruitment, retention, pay and benefits, and ban sanctuary policies; he is endorsed by the Florida PBA, Fraternal Order of Police, Police Chiefs Association and most sheriffs. | No public position found | Strongly disagrees· stated position Platform calls for 'elimination of mandatory minimum sentences, reforming cash bail, and ending private prisons' along with law-enforcement reform. | No public position found | Leans agree· stated position Would 'give our first responders every tool they need' and pay them 'a fair, competitive wage,' and proposes an 'Oasis Act' for gated, monitored redevelopment of blighted neighborhoods with conduct requirements for residents. | No public position found | Leans disagree· stated position His candidacy is described as focused on social justice and prison reform, drawing on his own incarceration; no specific position on police funding or sentencing was found. | No public position found | No public position found |
| Gender identity lawsFlorida's laws restricting gender-affirming care for minors and classroom instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity should remain in place. | Strongly agrees· stated position As a state legislator in 2020 Donalds co-introduced bills including one that would have criminalized doctors providing transition-related care to minors; in 2026 he says his opposition to transgender-related policies is 'common sense' rather than a 'culture war' and has made the issue a central contrast with Jolly, including an ad PolitiFact rated deceptively edited. | Leans disagree· stated position Jolly has defended parents' right to make decisions about gender-affirming care for their children and supported communities' rainbow crosswalks, and PolitiFact found a Donalds ad deceptively edited his remarks on the topic. He told WLRN he does not think athletes assigned male at birth should compete in girls' sports but that the governor should not impose sweeping restrictions on youth leagues. | No public position found | No public position found | No public position found | No public position found | No public position found | No public position found | No public position found |
| Energy & utilitiesGovernment should promote renewable energy and tighten oversight of utility rate increases, even at the expense of fossil-fuel production. | Strongly disagrees· stated position Donalds rejected capping utility return on equity after the FPL rate case, saying caps lead to 'worse service' by starving grid investment; his plan to lower bills emphasizes small modular and micro nuclear reactors, hydrogen and 'another natural gas pipeline.' | Strongly agrees· stated position After the Public Service Commission approved FPL's roughly $7 billion rate increase with a 10.95% return on equity, Jolly proposed capping the profit margin Florida's major electric utilities may earn at the national average (about 9.7%), reforming campaign finance to reduce utility influence, and 'requiring greater integration of clean energy technologies into our public utilities.' He says regulators and the Legislature have been 'captured' by the industry. | Mixed / neutral· stated position Wants Florida to become a thorium and advanced-nuclear energy center, calls natural-gas dependence a strategic vulnerability and would use Public Service Commission appointments to pursue it; no position found on renewables or rate oversight. | No public position found | No public position found | No public position found | No public position found | No public position found | No public position found |
| Trump administrationI approve of the direction of the Trump administration. | Strongly agrees· stated position Donalds launched his campaign in February 2025 with President Trump's endorsement and has run as a Trump ally; Trump's backing was a central theme of his primary campaign. | Strongly disagrees· stated position Jolly, who as a Republican congressman urged Trump to leave the 2016 race after his proposed Muslim ban, left the GOP in 2018 and became a Trump critic as an MSNBC commentator; in the 2026 race he calls Donalds 'Donald Trump's guy' and challenges him to defend the Trump economy. | No public position found | No public position found | No public position found | No public position found | No public position found | No public position found | No public position found |
| VeteransExpanding VA services and veterans' benefits should be a top priority. | Leans agree· stated position At a Jacksonville veterans roundtable Donalds proposed letting veterans use GI Bill benefits to start small businesses, expanding VA clinic support, digitizing medical records, and investing in mental-health services for veterans; his campaign runs a 'Veterans for Byron' coalition and is backed by Concerned Veterans for America Action. | Leans agree· stated position Jolly lists 'Restoring Services for Our Veterans' as a platform plank and says he wants 'a government that actually serves seniors, veterans, and those in need'; no detailed veterans-benefits proposal was found. | No public position found | No public position found | No public position found | No public position found | No public position found | No public position found | No public position found |
Where they sit on the map
Each candidate is placed by the average of their documented stances. It is a summary of the table above, not an extra judgment.
RepublicanDemocraticLibertarianNo Party Affiliation· photo or initials inside each bubble · hover or tap for details
Not enough documented positions to place: Dean Ocean AbramsJeffrey Peter "Dr. Jeff" DattoMoliere "Moe" DimancheDesmond MeadeFrank J. Russo
Moliere "Moe" DimancheDesmond MeadeFrank J. RussoHow the axes are computed
Each axis is the average of a candidate's coded stances (+2 to −2) on a fixed set of statements, so it comes straight from the documented positions and nothing else. A candidate needs at least three documented statements on an axis to be placed.
Economic issues (toward "Smaller government (lower taxes, less spending)"): Taxes & spending (agree), Property taxes (agree), Health care (disagree), Housing affordability (disagree), Property insurance (disagree), Energy & utilities (disagree), Social Security & Medicare (disagree).
Social & legal issues (toward "Conservative side of the statements"): Immigration (agree), Abortion (disagree), Guns (disagree), Education & school choice (agree), Elections & voting (disagree), Crime & policing (agree), Gender identity laws (agree), Marijuana (disagree), Environment & water (disagree), Trump administration (agree).
| Candidate | Economic issues | Social & legal issues |
|---|---|---|
| Byron Donalds | 1.33 (6 statements) | 1.70 (10 statements) |
| David Jolly | -1.67 (6 statements) | -1.56 (9 statements) |
| Scott Eckhard Jewett | 1.25 (4 statements) | 0.00 (5 statements) |
| Dean Ocean Abrams | not enough data | not enough data |
| Charles W. Burkett | 1.20 (5 statements) | -0.25 (4 statements) |
| Jeffrey Peter "Dr. Jeff" Datto | not enough data | not enough data |
| Moliere "Moe" Dimanche | not enough data | not enough data |
| Desmond Meade | not enough data | not enough data |
| Frank J. Russo | not enough data | not enough data |
Other issues the candidates have raised
Priorities each candidate has brought up on their own, beyond the major-issue list above.
Byron Donalds
- Tax and Budget Reform Commission review of all state taxes and fees — Says he will use the constitutionally required 2027 Tax and Budget Reform Commission to study every tax and fee in Florida with a goal of eliminating homestead property taxes.
- 'Bring Down The Bill' property-insurance plan — Six-point plan: preserve tort reforms, lower reinsurance costs, an 'Insurer Scorecard' to compare insurers, mitigation/storm-hardening grants, more competition and keeping Citizens small.
- Amendment 3 (2026 homestead exemption increase) — Supports the November 2026 ballot amendment on homestead exemptions and says he will bring the idea back through the commission if voters reject it.
- Affordability / cost of living — Frames his campaign around affordability, citing his family's 'lean years' and hurricane costs, with property taxes and insurance as the main levers.
- 'Your Doctor, Your Price' health-care price transparency — Would require providers to post cash prices for their 20 most common services, align state drug purchasing with federal prices and limit pre-authorizations and surprise billing.
- 'Zero Tolerance' public-safety and sanctuary-policy ban — Mandates state and local cooperation with federal immigration enforcement, bans sanctuary policies statewide and limits taxpayer benefits to citizens and legal residents.
- Career pathways from sixth grade and co-located schools — Every student would build a plan toward college, military or a trade starting in sixth grade; under-enrolled district buildings would host charter, private or parochial schools.
- State-approved growth plans and concurrency — Local comprehensive plans would be coordinated with and approved by the state, with infrastructure concurrency so new growth pays for itself before development.
- Nuclear, hydrogen and natural gas for lower power bills — Says lowering electric bills should focus on small modular and micro nuclear reactors, hydrogen and a new natural-gas pipeline rather than profit caps.
David Jolly
- State catastrophic (hurricane/wind) insurance fund — Proposes moving hurricane and wind risk into a state catastrophe fund to lower private premiums; the Donalds campaign attacks it as shifting risk to taxpayers.
- Property-tax relief approach — Proposes a homestead exemption for first-time homebuyers ('generational property tax reform') instead of Amendment 3's broad elimination, which he says lacks replacement revenue.
- 30% teacher pay raise and 10-year public-school 'renaissance' — Proposes using tourist-development taxes to fund a 30% raise for public-school teachers, repair school infrastructure and add mental-health and anti-hunger programs in schools.
- No-interest state loans for condo owners — Proposes a state-backed, no-interest loan program to help condominium associations and individual owners pay special assessments, structural repairs and reserve requirements.
- Home rule and enacting majority-approved amendments — Says Tallahassee should stop preempting local zoning, labor and environmental decisions, and that when an amendment wins more than 50% (e.g., abortion 57%, marijuana 56%, open primaries 57%) the governor should use executive tools to advance it.
- Data-center moratorium — Says he would order an immediate moratorium on new data centers on his first day, citing environmental, community, real-estate and public-health concerns.
- Utility profit cap and campaign-finance reform — Would cap investor-owned utilities' allowed return on equity at the national average and limit utility political spending after the FPL rate case.
- Close 'Alligator Alcatraz' and review 287(g) agreements — Would close the Everglades detention facility on day one if still operating and suspend 287(g) agreements pending due-process protections.
Scott Eckhard Jewett
- 'Humanitarian Libertarianism' platform — Says his agenda centers on a robust economy with more living-wage jobs, enhanced educational opportunities and public safety, pairing Republican economic principles with Democratic social values.
- Homeowners' insurance reform — Calls the insurance system 'a disaster' ($43 billion in premiums vs. $7 billion paid out) and makes reform a top priority.
- Advanced nuclear power hub — Wants Florida to become a hub for advanced nuclear power.
- Criminal-justice and immigration reform — Lists criminal-justice and immigration reform among platform priorities (specifics not found).
- Non-interventionist foreign policy — Says he would focus on 'Florida's interests and avoiding entanglement in unnecessary conflicts.'
- Thorium and advanced nuclear power — Proposes pursuing NRC Agreement State status, advanced-reactor permitting legislation and a University of Florida nuclear-fuels research facility.
Dean Ocean Abrams
- Data-center land use — Opposes what he calls a corporate data-center land grab in Florida.
- Self-funded, no PAC money — Says he takes no party, PAC or corporate donations.
- No AI data centers; no foreign-lobby influence — Platform lists 'No AI data centers' and 'No AIPAC foreign lobby influence over Florida policy.'
Charles W. Burkett
- Tolls and gas taxes — Proposes reducing tolls and gas taxes.
- Insurance and healthcare overhaul — Says he would overhaul insurance and healthcare laws as part of an affordability agenda.
- Put current residents first — Campaign says it focuses on practical solutions that put current Florida residents first.
- Homestead exemption that grows with residency — Proposes that after a ten-year residency vesting period, homeowners gain a cumulative 10-percentage-point increase in their homestead exemption each year until it reaches 100%, transferable to a spouse and children.
- Public pensions — Would honor existing defined-benefit pensions but move new public employees to defined-contribution plans with an immediate government match.
- Education spending — Says schools should focus 'only on kids' with high standards and proposes cutting school spending by at least 5%, possibly 10%.
- No campaign contributions — Says he is not accepting campaign contributions.
Jeffrey Peter "Dr. Jeff" Datto
No additional issues found in public statements as of the last data review.
Moliere "Moe" Dimanche
- Public corruption — Says his goal is a 'corruption-free Florida' where corruption 'will be met with a heavy hand' and Floridians are 'served, instead of ruled over.'
- Free speech — Campaign says it wants a Florida 'where Freedom of Speech is real again.'
- Prison reform — Advocates prison reform based on his nearly 10 years in Florida prisons.
- Abolish HOAs — Says 'HOAs are unconstitutional' and promises to abolish homeowners' associations.
- Municipal incorporation of Pine Hills — Says 'municipal incorporation of unincorporated county land is imperative' and seeks city status for Pine Hills and western Orange County.
- Close Alligator Alcatraz — Would permanently close the Everglades detention site on his first day.
Desmond Meade
- Withdrawal from the race — Ended his campaign Aug. 28, 2026, saying fundraising could not keep pace in a crowded, expensive field.
Frank J. Russo
- Affordability, housing, insurance, workforce — Campaign is built on 'practical solutions to restore affordability, expand housing, stabilize insurance, and strengthen workforce opportunities.'
- Donate governor's salary — Vows to donate 100% of the governor's annual salary every year if elected.
- Teacher pay of at least $75,000 — Would 'raise Florida's average teacher salary to at least $75,000' and strengthen recruitment and retention.
- 'Humanity Over the Dollar' / 'Caring Capitalism' — Campaign philosophy that 'Florida's success should be measured by whether the people who already live here can afford to stay here.'
- Medical freedom — Says 'lawful medical decisions should be made by Floridians in consultation with their healthcare providers.'
- AI and innovation — Describes an approach that is 'pro-innovation, pro-business and pro-accountability' to prepare workers for an AI-transformed economy.