Lean RGovernor · Florida

Florida Governor and Lieutenant Governor

Dean Abrams (I) vs. Charles Burkett (I) vs. Jeffrey Datto (I) vs. Moliere Dimanche (I) vs. Byron Donalds (R) vs. Scott Jewett (I) vs. David Jolly (D) vs. Frank Russo (I). General election Tuesday, November 3, 2026.

What does a governor do?

Runs the state government. Proposes the state budget, signs or vetoes bills passed by the legislature, and appoints the heads of state agencies. Usually 4 years (2 in NH and VT).

State budget, schools and Medicaid funding
Signs or vetoes state laws
Leads emergency response and the state National Guard

Source: National Governors Association: Governors' Powers & Authority

Your options

Listed alphabetically by last name. Each box has the same sections in the same order. Donation and campaign links appear only after we confirm they belong to the candidate's own committee.

No Party Affiliation

Dean Abrams

Running mate: Joe Van Vactor

Who they are

Campaign address on the official candidate list: Sarasota, Florida. No further background found in a public source. source

What they say they'll do

No priorities found on a campaign site yet.

What they've done

No voting record compiled yet.

Who funds them

State race: see filings at Florida Division of Elections campaign finance database.

In short

Campaign address on the official candidate list: Sarasota, Florida. No further background found in a public source; no issue positions found on a campaign site yet.

No verified campaign link yet.

No Party Affiliation

Charles Burkett

Running mate: Ruben Coto

Who they are

Campaign address on the official candidate list: Surfside, Florida. No further background found in a public source. source

What they say they'll do

No priorities found on a campaign site yet.

What they've done

No voting record compiled yet.

Who funds them

State race: see filings at Florida Division of Elections campaign finance database.

In short

Campaign address on the official candidate list: Surfside, Florida. No further background found in a public source; no issue positions found on a campaign site yet.

No verified campaign link yet.

No Party Affiliation

Jeffrey Datto

Running mate: Juan Santana

Who they are

Campaign address on the official candidate list: Hialeah, Florida. No further background found in a public source. source

What they say they'll do

No priorities found on a campaign site yet.

What they've done

No voting record compiled yet.

Who funds them

State race: see filings at Florida Division of Elections campaign finance database.

In short

Campaign address on the official candidate list: Hialeah, Florida. No further background found in a public source; no issue positions found on a campaign site yet.

No verified campaign link yet.

No Party Affiliation

Moliere Dimanche

Running mate: Benjiman Rojas

Who they are

Profession: Author. source

What they say they'll do

No priorities found on a campaign site yet.

What they've done

No voting record compiled yet.

Who funds them

State race: see filings at Florida Division of Elections campaign finance database.

In short

Profession: Author; no issue positions found on a campaign site yet.

No verified campaign link yet.

Republican

Byron Donalds

Photo: official congressional portrait, Public domain

Running mate: Bryan Avila

Who they are

U.S. Representative (FL-19) since Jan 3, 2021. Congress.gov

What they say they'll do

No priorities found on a campaign site yet.

What they've done

Sponsored 27 bills this Congress (0 became law); missed 10.1% of 674 roll-call votes. Full record

Committees: House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform; House Committee on Financial Services

Who funds them

State race: see filings at Florida Division of Elections campaign finance database.

In short

U.S. Representative (FL-19) since 2021; sponsored 27 bills this Congress, 0 became law; missed 10.1% of roll-call votes; no issue positions found on a campaign site yet.

No verified campaign link yet.

Libertarian

Scott Jewett

Running mate: Nicole Skelly

Who they are

Profession: Consultant. source

What they say they'll do

No priorities found on a campaign site yet.

What they've done

No voting record compiled yet.

Who funds them

State race: see filings at Florida Division of Elections campaign finance database.

In short

Profession: Consultant; no issue positions found on a campaign site yet.

No verified campaign link yet.

Democrat

David Jolly

Photo: official congressional portrait, Public domain

Running mate: Gwen Graham

Who they are

Prior offices: U.S. House Florida District 13 (2014–2017). source

In their words: “This isn't politics as usual. It's a fight for Florida's future. Join a movement built on people, not talking points. Different backgrounds. Same understanding.” campaign site

What they say they'll do

Solving our Affordability and Insurance Crisis
Delivering Affordable Healthcare to Floridians
Saving Our Schools
Campaign Finance and Ethics Reform
Strengthening Florida's Economy

From their campaign site · positions on 12 topics

What they've done

No voting record compiled yet.

Who funds them

State race: see filings at Florida Division of Elections campaign finance database.

In short

Prior offices: U.S. House Florida District 13 (2014–2017); campaign site states positions on 12 of our 16 topics.

Donate on ActBlue Campaign website

ActBlue page belongs to "David Jolly", checked against the page's own recipient details.

No Party Affiliation

Frank Russo

Running mate: Rachel Rodriguez

Who they are

Campaign address on the official candidate list: New Smyrna Beach, Florida. No further background found in a public source. source

What they say they'll do

No priorities found on a campaign site yet.

What they've done

No voting record compiled yet.

Who funds them

State race: see filings at Florida Division of Elections campaign finance database.

In short

Campaign address on the official candidate list: New Smyrna Beach, Florida. No further background found in a public source; no issue positions found on a campaign site yet.

No verified campaign link yet.

Where they stand, issue by issue

Quotes are taken from each campaign's own website (first sentences of the section, unedited). Topics are assigned by keyword; we do not summarize or score positions. "No public position found" means we did not find the topic on the campaign site, not that the candidate has no view.

Topic

Dean Abrams I

Charles Burkett I

Jeffrey Datto I

Moliere Dimanche I

Byron Donalds R

Scott Jewett I

David Jolly D

Frank Russo I

Cost of living & jobs

No public position found

Solving our Affordability and Insurance CrisisThe property insurance crisis is the primary reason so many people in Florida are struggling to afford a place to live. From renters to retirees to homeowners, the burden of property insurance continues to make housing costs in Florida unaffordable for many. source

No public position found

Taxes & government spending

No public position found

Q. Does this plan raise my taxes as a Florida resident?No. The plan uses Florida tax dollars already being collected, paired with a 9-to-1 federal match. The state share is offset by reduced emergency care costs, lower uncompensated care payments, and increased tax revenue from a stronger healthcare workforce. source

No public position found

Health care

No public position found

Delivering Affordable Healthcare to FloridiansMedicaid is a critical program for Florida. It supports childbirth care for women and infants, long-term care for seniors, care for those with special needs and unique abilities, and is a critical funding source for hospitals across the state. source

No public position found

Crime & public safety

No public position found

Fighting Crime, not CommunitiesWhether you're a native born Floridian, an immigrant to our state, or a Tallahassee politician, if you break the law in Florida, you'll be held accountable. source

No public position found

Guns

No public position found

Reducing Gun ViolenceFlorida suffers needlessly from gun violence. Responsible gun owners are not the problem, but lax gun laws are. Its time politicians in Tallahassee do more, protecting responsible gun owners' rights while passing common-sense reforms. source

No public position found

Abortion

No public position found

Restoring Reproductive FreedomReproductive healthcare decisions should be made between women and their doctors, not politicians. Roe v. Wade and Casey v. Planned Parenthood provided a responsible, balanced framework for protecting these decisions. source

No public position found

Schools & education

No public position found

Saving Our SchoolsPublic schools have been inadequately funded in the state of Florida for decades. We need to dramatically increase investment in Florida's public schools to provide higher quality public schools in more neighborhoods, with more teachers who earn a more competitive salary. source

No public position found

Energy & environment

No public position found

Clean EnergyFlorida leaders should unleash clean and renewable energies across the Sunshine State, requiring greater integration of clean energy technologies into our public utilities. source

No public position found

Veterans

No public position found

Restoring Services for Our VeteransFlorida is home to one of the largest veteran populations in the United States. We are fortunate to have men and women from all generations who have honorably served across all service branches. source

No public position found

Elections & government ethics

No public position found

Campaign Finance and Ethics ReformFlorida has some of the weakest ethics and campaign finance rules of any state in the country. Incumbent politicians solicit unlimited money from corporations in clear relationship to official acts. source

No public position found

Farming & rural issues

No public position found

Q. How would this plan affect rural Floridians?Rural counties have been hit hardest by healthcare gaps. Jolly's plan scales community health centers in every county, including rural areas where private practices are unviable, and stabilizes rural hospital revenue by reducing uncompensated care through Medicaid expansion. source

No public position found

Housing

No public position found

Q. How will this plan help me if I rent?More than half of Florida renters now pay over 30 percent of income on housing. The plan scales workforce and affordable housing targeted near job centers, expands existing state housing programs, and caps utility profits to lower the monthly bills renters pay on top of rent. source

No public position found

No candidate in this race addresses on their site: Social Security & Medicare, Immigration & the border, Foreign policy & defense, Roads, transit & infrastructure.

About this race

No incumbent is on the ballot (open seat). The race is rated leaning Republican. Usually 4 years (2 in NH and VT).

Rating from the Cook Political Report race ratings, Oct 23, 2026. Candidates from the Florida Division of Elections, candidate listing for the 2026 general election (Governor).