8 candidates are on the ballot. Below is what each one says they stand for, what they have actually done in office or in public life, and the arguments published for and against them — each quoted from a named source rather than summarised by us.
Medium confidenceMedium confidenceThe candidate's stated positions and basic record are documented, but coverage is thin — often little independent reporting, or criticism from only one side.What would raise it: More independent reporting, a documented voting record, or published criticism from a named opponent would raise this.
What they say they stand for
Their own words. Claims, not verified facts.
Continuity with the DeSantis administration — 'when it comes to policy, the governor and I don't really have disagreements.'
Raising Florida student math and reading proficiency from about 30% to 50%.
Public order and safety across the state.
Preserving what he calls 'the free state of Florida.'
Addressing rising property insurance costs and traffic congestion.
Stricter immigration enforcement — 'We have to be consistent when it comes to dealing with immigration law' — with deportations starting from criminal offenders.
Property tax relief.
What they’ve actually done
Documented record from official sources.
U.S. Representative for Florida's 19th congressional district since 2021; member of the Florida House of Representatives before that.
Endorsed by President Donald Trump roughly a week before he announced his gubernatorial campaign.
Broke with Governor DeSantis in 2023 over Florida's revised African American history standards, calling the treatment of what enslaved people learned 'wrong'; DeSantis accused him of siding with Vice President Kamala Harris.
Endorsed Trump over DeSantis in the 2024 presidential primary.
Won the August 18 2026 Republican primary with about 47.8% in a ten-candidate field.
Named state Senator Bryan Avila as his running mate in late August 2026.
Has substantially outraised David Jolly.
Arguments in favor
'Florida is not going to stop leading. We're going to build off of what we've done, and we are going to continue to lead bigger, better, faster, greater, safer, freer, because the American dream is for everybody.'
— Byron Donalds, in his primary victory speech
He carries President Trump's endorsement and consolidated a ten-candidate field, including a sitting lieutenant governor and a former House speaker.
— President Donald Trump and House Republican leadership
He has been willing to break with his own side when he thought it was wrong — publicly criticising Florida's African American history standards in 2023 despite the political cost.
— Byron Donalds, as reported by Governing
Arguments against
His first general election advertising attacked transgender Floridians rather than the cost of living: the ad 'doesn't once mention Trump's economy, doesn't once mention the cost of housing or healthcare, or the cost of food or gas.'
— David Jolly, Democratic nominee
He is running explicitly on continuity with an administration that presided over Florida's property insurance crisis, and says he has no real policy disagreements with it.
— David Jolly for Governor campaign
His attack advertising has backfired with some voters, who told reporters they backed Jolly in the primary because of it — 'if they are against him, then I must be for him.'
— Florida primary voters quoted by the Florida Phoenix
What we couldn’t verify
His official campaign website could not be verified, so no URL is listed.
His specific plan for property insurance rates beyond naming it as a constituent concern.
His position on Florida's six-week abortion law could not be established from a source read directly.
His campaign finance totals were not located, though reporting says he has substantially outraised his opponent.
Historic homeowner's insurance reform — the centrepiece of his campaign.
Lowering housing costs.
Investing in community public schools.
Expanding access to primary health care.
New gun safety measures.
Restoring reproductive freedom in Florida.
An inclusive Florida: 'Our strength has never come from pushing people out. It has always come from bringing people in' — with dignity for people 'regardless of where they were born, the color of their skin, who they love, or who they worship.'
What they’ve actually done
Documented record from official sources.
U.S. Representative for Florida's 13th congressional district, 2014-2017, elected as a Republican.
Left the Republican Party in 2018 over social issues and registered with no party affiliation; registered as a Democrat in April 2025.
Worked as a national television political analyst and attorney; a prominent public critic of Donald Trump.
Launched his campaign for governor in June 2025.
Won the August 18 2026 Democratic primary with about 61% in a six-candidate field.
He is the second consecutive Florida Democratic gubernatorial nominee who was previously a Republican.
Has been substantially outraised by his opponent.
Arguments in favor
His campaign leads with the property insurance crisis — the single biggest cost pressure on Florida homeowners — rather than with national fights.
— David Jolly for Governor campaign
Having served as a Republican congressman, he can argue against the current direction of Florida government from inside its own tradition rather than as a partisan outsider.
— David Jolly for Governor campaign
He would restore reproductive freedom in a state that now bans most abortions after six weeks.
— David Jolly for Governor campaign
Arguments against
'No matter the issue, David Jolly has been on all sides of it.' He is 'a flip-flopping political relic,' and 'under Republican leadership, Florida enjoys low inflation, fiscal responsibility, and a thriving economy.'
— Evan Power, chair of the Republican Party of Florida
His positions on transgender youths' access to medical care and participation in school sports are out of step with Florida voters.
— Byron Donalds for Governor advertising campaign
He is running far behind in fundraising against a nominee with the president's backing, in a state Republicans have carried by growing margins.
— Republican Party of Florida
What we couldn’t verify
The mechanics of his 'historic' homeowner's insurance reform — no detailed plan was located on a page read directly.
How reproductive freedom would be restored given Florida's six-week law and the failure of the 2024 constitutional amendment to reach 60%.
His campaign finance totals were not located.
His position on Florida's property tax debate could not be established from a source read directly.
Immigration enforcement paired with an expanded work-visa programme.
School choice.
Conservative fiscal policy combined with keeping essential social programmes — what he calls Libertarian 2.0.
What they’ve actually done
Documented record from official sources.
Libertarian Party nominee for governor of Florida in 2026; running with Nicole Skelly for lieutenant governor.
Resident of Boca Raton; says he has about a decade of government experience.
Advanced to the general election ballot after the Libertarian primary was cancelled.
Has not held statewide office.
We found no published arguments for or against this candidate.
What we couldn’t verify
His official campaign website could not be verified, so no URL is listed.
The nature of his stated decade of government experience could not be confirmed from an independent source.
No organised advocacy for his candidacy and no criticism of him by name from an opposing campaign or outlet could be found, so no arguments are listed on either side.
Overhauling Florida's insurance and health care laws.
Cutting government spending and bureaucracy.
Putting 'Florida residents first.'
What they’ve actually done
Documented record from official sources.
Four-term mayor of Surfside, Florida.
Led the town through the June 2021 collapse of Champlain Towers South, in which 98 people died.
Founder of a national real estate investment firm; finance graduate of the University of Miami.
Announced his no-party-affiliation candidacy for governor in 2025 and qualified for the ballot in June 2026.
Runs with Ruben Coto for lieutenant governor.
We found no published arguments for or against this candidate.
What we couldn’t verify
His official campaign website could not be verified, so no URL is listed.
How eliminating homestead property taxes — the base of local school and municipal funding — would be replaced.
No organised advocacy for his candidacy and no criticism of him by name from an opposing campaign or outlet could be found, so no arguments are listed on either side.
Haitian American artist and author; prison reform activist.
Qualified as a no-party-affiliation candidate for governor of Florida before the June 12 2026 qualifying deadline.
Runs with Benjamin Rojas for lieutenant governor.
Has not held elected office.
We found no published arguments for or against this candidate.
What we couldn’t verify
His specific policy proposals could not be established beyond the general framing of prison reform and social justice; no campaign platform document was located.
No campaign website was located.
No advocacy for and no criticism of him by name could be found, so no arguments are listed on either side.
Restoring an elected state insurance commissioner, an office eliminated in 1998, through a constitutional amendment proposed in his first 100 days.
Using part of the roughly $17 billion Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund to stabilise the homeowners insurance market, and exploring a state catastrophic coverage option of up to $500,000 for residents.
Property tax relief and a teacher pay raise as first-100-days priorities.
A tax on the highest personal incomes to fund first responders, infrastructure and teachers; he said in September 2026 that he had raised the income threshold after hearing from small business owners.
Donating his entire governor's salary each year if elected.
What they’ve actually done
Documented record from official sources.
Insurance executive, real estate developer and entrepreneur by his own account; formerly an Allstate executive.
Announced his independent candidacy on April 14 2026 and qualified for the general election ballot as a no-party-affiliation candidate, per the Florida Division of Elections.
Runs with Rachel Rodriguez for lieutenant governor.
Challenged Donalds and Jolly to a three-way debate in August 2026, and to a debate on the insurance crisis in September 2026.
We found no published arguments for or against this candidate.
What we couldn’t verify
Nearly everything known about his background comes from his campaign's own press releases; no independent reporting on his business record was found.
The income threshold and rate of his proposed tax on high earners after the September 2026 revision.
No organised advocacy for his candidacy and no criticism of him by name from an opposing campaign or outlet could be found, so no arguments are listed on either side.
Positions and criticism are quoted from the named sources, not our assessments. This is built to help you start getting informed — confirm the official candidate list with your election authority before you vote.
Open seat: Republican Ron DeSantis is term-limited. Roster checked on 7 October 2026 against the Florida Division of Elections' list of qualified candidates for the general election, and first established from Wikipedia's race page, the Associated Press report at the close of qualifying on June 12 2026, Politics1's candidate list, NBC News, PBS/AP and WLRN, cross-checked. In the August 18 2026 primaries, U.S. Representative Byron Donalds won the Republican nomination with about 47.8% over Lieutenant Governor Jay Collins, former House Speaker Paul Renner and James Fishback; David Jolly won the Democratic nomination with about 61%. Florida elects governor and lieutenant governor as a joint ticket: Donalds runs with state Senator Bryan Avila, Jolly with former U.S. Representative Gwen Graham. Scott Jewett is the Libertarian nominee, and five no-party-affiliation tickets are on the printed ballot. Two roster caveats: voting rights advocate Desmond Meade, who had qualified as an NPA candidate, withdrew on August 28 2026 and is not listed; and Frank J. Russo, whom Politics1 listed as a write-in, is shown by the Division of Elections as a qualified NPA candidate with running mate Rachel Rodriguez, so he is on the printed ballot. Kathy Anderson and Erik Morris qualified as write-in candidates; Florida write-in candidates do not appear as printed names on the ballot and are not profiled. The Libertarian and NPA candidates are listed with empty argument sections — no organised advocacy for them and no criticism of them by name from an opposing campaign or outlet could be found.
This is one contest on a longer ballot
A Florida ballot also carries state legislative districts, county offices, judicial seats and often local questions — and which of them you vote on is decided by your street address, not your city or ZIP code.
Your ballot is determined by your election authority, not by us. Verify your registration, precinct, and sample ballot at Florida Division of Elections.