James Fishback (X Profile:@j_fishback) is one of eleven individuals – and one of the four most relevant – seeking the Republican Nomination for the November 2026 Florida Gubernatorial Election.
While the Publication of his Campaign Website initially lacked any details regarding his Gubernatorial bid, it now features his Platform and his Campaign Appearances.
Of the Candidates seeking the Republican Nomination for the November 2026 Florida Gubernatorial Election, I am most critical of Fishback because I knew that he would appeal to the sensitives of the Restorationist Right amongst the state’s Republican Electorate and his failure to establish, maintain and advance discipline through his campaign could (and will) cause harm to the morale of this already dis-regarded sect of the state’s Republican Electorate.
As someone who identifies as a Restorationist, there are many ways in which Fishback’s broad message appeals to me. While I have several concerns about Fishback’s candidacy, my key concern is that Fishback, nor any of the prominent candidates seeking the Republican Nomination for the November 2026 Florida Gubernatorial Election, possess the level of Intuition and Discipline necessary to Administer one of the Union’s most Economically and Politically relevant states.
Acceding and occupying a Governor’s Mansion requires far more Bureaucratic and Administrative Skill than it does Charisma. This is the reason why figures such as @RonDeSantis and @SenRickScott will never accede the Oval Office, while a figure such as @GavinNewsom, whose tenure in the Governor’s Mansion in Sacramento has, by any measure, been a failure due lack of Bureaucratic and Administrative Skill, would, at the least, be a lukewarm U.S. President IF he ever acceded the Oval Office.
In any case, I wish to delve deeply into Fishback’s Gubernatorial Manifesto, as I genuinely foresee a situation in which he accedes the Governor’s Mansion and then gloriously fails due to his fundamental mis-understanding of how a Bureaucracy works.
Stop Data Centres
The next step in Advancing Western Civilisation will depend on securing Energy. A Western Sovereign Capital that fails to secure the levels of Energy required to power the next round of Technological Advancement is one that will have its Sovereign Authority subsumed, either de jure or de facto, by those that can and will.
That being said, it is not necessary for every U.S. state to perform the same or similar functions as part of the effort to ensure that the White House remains a Going Concern for another 250 years. If the “Ecological Parameters” of the state of Florida do not permit for Data Farms to exist within the state, then it is will within the right of Tallahassee to exercise Statewide Preemption.
Home Ownership
I want to make something absolutely clear: Home Ownership is a Privilege, not a Right. As such, individuals who enjoy this Privilege should have no issues with the the Duties and Responsibilities that come along with enjoying such a Privilege. Current Home Owners who enjoy said Privilege but struggle to handle the Duties and Responsibilities should sell their homes and rent.
I disagree with the initiative gaining steam in the state of Florida to eliminate Property Taxes for two reasons.
The first is that this Initiative is effectively a Bailout for Boomers at the expense of younger generations, who cannot afford to buy. Said younger generations will bear the burden precisely because we are renters, as Property Tax Relief will not be extended to Commercial Landlords. Nay, Property Taxes will likely be raised on Commercial Landlords, whom will in turn raise Rents on Tenants.
The second is that Municipalities rely heavily on Property Taxes to fund their respective Operational Budgets. Save instituting or increasing existing Local Option Taxes, at least a significant minority of Florida Municipalities will cease to exist. While I can see the merit in attempting to place a check on spending by Florida Municipalities, the other side of that argument is that Municipal Governments give the Electorate a layer of government close to it that it can hold accountable and that can lobby the County and State Governments in its name and on its behalf, it its best interests. Less Municipalities means the Electorate has less leverage over how they are governed.
The only portion of Fishback’s Manifesto I enthusiastically agree with where it concerns Home Ownership is barring Private Equity from purchasing and/or holding title to Single Family Homes in the state. This should be expanded to include Federal and State Chartered Financial Institutions. Such a Prohibition should already exist in a state such as Florida, and the fact that it does not is surely a sign of GOP, Inc.’s influence on the state’s Politics.
I am mixed where it regards Homeowners’ Insurance Premiums in the state of Florida. While I agree that the state Government should take a more pro-active approach with regards to Drainage Infrastructure, I disagree with the notion of a Government Sponsored Enterprise offering Homeowners’ Insurance Policies. The other side of this argument is that the state of Florida is a hotbed for Insurance Fraud (not just Homeowners Ownership), and that micro-management by the State Legislature is all but required as part of a greater programme to encourage Insurance Providers (not just Homeowners Insurance) to do business in the state at reasonable rates. What that micro-management by the State Legislature would look like is the element missing in Fishback’s portion of his Manifesto.
As it pertains to the Homeowners’ Associations, Fishback’s Manifesto has the outline of the correct approach: increased transparency regarding the activities of Homeowners’ Associations. The Florida Department of State to establish a Platform on its website where Homeowners’ Associations are required to submit documentation (i.e., Byelaws, Budgets, Meeting Minutes) for review by the public. Homeowners’ Associations that are designated as Non-Profit Corporations by the Internal Revenue Service would be required to submit documentation.
The only portion of Fishback’s Manifesto I vehemently disagree with where it concerns Home Ownership is Down Payment Assistance. The State Government should not expressly subsidise Home Ownership in this manner, as all this will lead to is an artificial increase in home prices.
Law and Order
The great success of DeSantis’ tenure has been the marked increase in state reserves and the marked decrease in state debt. If a Fishback tenure will see a Cost of Living Adjustment to Pensions for Retired Law Enforcement and Correctional Officers, then he is obliged to state, in specific, where the off-set will be taken from. What I wanted to see in Fishback’s Manifesto that I do not see, is an expansion the Florida Highway Patrol and an increase in funding to County-Level Police Forces where such Counties meet certain Terms and Conditions. This should be funded, in part, by an increase in the state portion of Sales & Use Tax.
Homelessness is still an issue throughout Southeastern Florida, but not as much of an issue as it was during the 2000’s and 2010’s. At least a significant minority of the homeless require psychiatric care. As Florida has Mental Health Institutions and Homeless Shelters, the first step is to ensure that such Public Institutions have adequate funding to increase Room and Board. From there, homeless individuals whom are identified as requiring psychiatric care must be placed in such Institutions until such time where psychiatric care is no longer required. Those whom do not require psychiatric care must be placed in a shelter, being permitted to remain if and only if they’re actively and consistently engaged in social rehabilitation with the object of socio-economic re-integration.
I enthusiastically agree with Fishback’s stance on Teen Takeovers, but would add that the punishment must be jailtime for the Teen AND fines for the Parents.
I enthusiastically agree with Fishback’s stance on corrupt Soros-Aligned Prosecutors, with nothing further to add.
Protect Florida Workers
While we now know for certain that H-1B Workers take jobs from Americans and U.S. Citisens, the structure of the H-1B Programme, and the fact that it is Administered by the Federal Government, will make it relatively difficult to dispose of H-1B Workers at the rate necessary to bring balance and fairness back to the state’s job market.
What I would very much like to see Fishback focus on in the meantime is illegals in Florida. These illegals, through fraudulently acquired social security numbers, work and earn quite a comfortable living in Southeastern Florida. To that end, Fishback’s marquee plan to Protect Florida Workers should and must be working closely with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to conduct pop-up visits to businesses in the state’s major metropolitan centres to review I-9’s and relevant documentation. Given that Trump will only have two years in office, this should be TOP priority for any Republican who accedes the Oval Office.
Pro-Life
While I agree with Fishback’s statement that “…life begins at conception and abortion is [Infanticide],” we simultaneously must not be hasty.
We need not shut downe all 53 abortion clinics. The ones in majority minority zip codes should and must remain open and full operational, as a Republican should not and cannot be seen as negatively impacting the Health Care of Women of Colour. Those women should be duly empowered to do with their bodies, and the progeny of their respective tribes, as they wish. Planned Parenthood should be invited to take over those clinics currently run by the state of Florida, with a guarantee of funding for one or two fiscal years until the organisation devises a means by and through which to offer such services without state funding.
Crisis Pregnancy Centres are an excellent idea, but they should not be run or funded by the state government. Instead, they should be non-profit endeavors Administered by private individuals and organisations. In order to ensure that the right of Women of Colour of the state of Florida to police their own bodies sans interference, such organisations should discouraged (but not legally barred from) operating in majority minority areas of the state.
We cannot simultaneously argue that it should not be mandatory for employers to offer contraception coverage through health care plans while arguing that it should be mandatory for employers to offer (extended) paid maternity leave. We can certainly suggest it, and we can certainly lobby Congress to Amend the Internal Revenue Code to offer special/increased deductions to employers that do.
Fight for Small Businesses
I vehemently disagree with Fishback’s Manifesto on Small Business.
Governor Scott did an amasing job of slimming the state Civil Service downe, and it should not be expanded. Nay, we need to find ways to further slim it downe.
As a Tax Accountant, I have aided individuals in establishing businesses across the country. Florida not only has one of the most streamlined processes, it is also the least Administratively cumbersome.
The next generation of Florida entrepreneurs aren’t waiting until graduation to establish businesses. Those amongst them whom are passionate about business ownership are out there doing more than most in my generation are currently doing.
K-12 Education
Pay received by Teachers should be directly tied to the performance of their students in standardised state and nation-wide testing in Reading Comprehension and Mathematics. Teachers who produce objective results are the only ones who deserve to earn more.
I am against the method used to fund the School Choice Programme. Instead, I believe that: (a) single-family homeowners who don’t have any children in the K-12 Public School System should either not be subject to the School Portion of Property Tax or receive a significant discount; and, (b) single-family homeowners who send one, some, or all of their children to a Private or Parochial School, and/or Homeschool one, some, or all of their children, should either not be subject to the School Portion of Property Tax or receive a significant discount.
From what I understand, Charter Schools are Public-Private Institutions. These types of configurations offend my sensitivities, as they blur the lines thus making it un-clear to whom the Institution reports or is to be held accountable to.
I am a BIG proponent of Homeschooling, and will support ANY and ALL Initiatives that return they Power and Responsibility to the Parents as as the Educators of their children. To that end, I can tolerate (but just barely) a Homeschool Office in the State Government, so long as the requisite cuts are made to the Civil Service offset such costs.
Paying for Our Platform
While I commend Fishback and give him points for effort and creativity, I doubt (unless he has the mathematics to show it) that his proposed funding sources will cover some of the expansions he proposes throughout his Manifesto.
DOGE Florida is definitely something that can, should and must be continued and expanded beyond DeSantis’ tenure. This is a means by and through which the State Government can keep all lower levels of Government in the state Accountable. If this Agency is to be expanded, it will be necessary to make the corresponding cuts across the state’s Civil Service.
The Statewide Tourism Fund is a good idea – though, I think the fee is too high. The surcharge should start significantly lower and should probably be set to increase or decrease based on economic conditions. When economic conditions are good the fee should increase and should decrease when economic conditions worsen. This metric would ensure that the Tourist Lobby is not comfortable with the additional charge, but at the very least, won’t vehemently contest it.
Levying special assessments on the purchase of non-primary residences by non-residents and of primary residences over a certain dollar amount is akin to taxing success. Instead, the proposal should be to levy a one-time assessment on the purchase of primary residences by non-residents relocating to the state.
The assessment that I was hoping to see here that is not present is: Sin Taxes. We need to levy special Assessments on the sale of Alcohol and CBD Products. We need to levy special Assessments on Strip Clubs and Bath-Houses. And yes, we need to levy special Assessments on individuals who engage in online sex work of any kind. The way we turn the Republican Electorate in this state from a “muh Taxes, muh Economy” Electorate to a “muh Morality” Electorate is through Initiatives such as this.
Defend the Constitution
I enthusiastically agree with Fishback’s stance on Constitutional Rights, with nothing further to add.