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Republican congressman Byron Donalds, the Trump-endorsed nominee for Florida governor, has laid out a wide-ranging platform for Florida's future, pitching lower insurance costs, more skilled jobs, protected farmland, cleaner water and a bigger commercial space industry, with the goal of growing Florida's economy into the world's top 10 while keeping taxes low. Floridians vote for their next governor on Tuesday, November 3, when Donalds faces Democrat David Jolly to succeed term-limited Governor Ron DeSantis.
On insurance, the issue at the top of voters' concerns, Donalds says he will keep the tort reforms signed by Governor DeSantis, scrap the 25 percent surcharge paid into the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund, expand home-hardening programmes and make post-storm rebuilding permits automatic, so homes are repaired faster and premiums come down. His campaign has also proposed an "Insurer Scorecard" to publish premiums, rate increases, approval and denial rates and time to payment for every insurer. Donalds has dismissed his opponent's plan to move hurricane and wind risk into a state catastrophe fund as "a government takeover of wind insurance"; Jolly says his plan would cut premiums by 60 to 70 percent.
On jobs and space, Donalds' "Space Race" plan, unveiled on July 31, would name 10 areas of Florida as strategic development sites for space manufacturing, speed up state permitting, create an Office for Space Industry in the Governor's Office and hold a Space Race Summit in his first year to recruit aerospace companies and investors. It also calls for "zero-tuition" training developed with commercial space companies for jobs including welding, machining, construction and advanced manufacturing, so space jobs go to trades workers as well as engineers. Donalds says he wants to make Florida "the world's headquarters for space exploration". His campaign's economy plan adds a public shot clock on permits, a single digital hub for major development reviews and specialised business courts.
On agriculture, water and the environment, Donalds says he will protect Florida's agricultural lands, secure fresh water, clean the state's waterways and continue Florida's commitment to Everglades restoration, which he calls critical to the state's water supply, economy and way of life.
On the economy and taxes, Donalds says he will keep Florida's personal income tax at zero, cut taxes at every opportunity and balance the state's books every year, while diversifying an economy he notes is already the world's 14th largest. "We're on our way to being a top 10 global economy," he said, pointing to manufacturing, commercial space, finance, biomedical research, aerospace and defence.
The race is close in the final days: a University of North Florida poll put Donalds ahead of Jolly by 49 percent to 47 percent, with affordability and the cost of living the top concern for voters. Donalds' campaign recently redesigned its website for the general election to lead with affordability and Florida-specific policy, while still carrying President Donald Trump's endorsement.