Republican gubernatorial candidates, left to right: Jay Collins, Byron Donalds, James Fishback, Paul Renner.
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Editorial Board’s endorsements for primary elections
Registered voters in Florida will be able to cast ballots in the Aug. 18 primary election through vote-by-mail, early voting or voting on Election Day. Voters will decide races for judges, the school board, the county commission, state Legislature, U.S. Senate, U.S. House and governor.
Read the Miami Herald Editorial Board’s endorsements.
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In Florida’s Republican primary for governor, voters could be forgiven for thinking the only person running is Byron Donalds, the congressman from Southwest Florida whose candidacy received a massive boost when President Trump backed him more than a year ago. But there are other candidates to consider — some of them increasingly well-known — and they include Lt. Gov. Jay Collins, former Florida House Speaker Paul Renner and far-right candidate James Fishback.
Our endorsement goes to Renner, a U.S. Navy veteran and former prosecutor who served as speaker from 2022 to 2024, when he worked closely with Gov. Ron DeSantis. Renner, 59, has a “100 day plan” that he says will address affordability, safety, health, freedom and the environment.
He characterized DeSantis as a “fantastic” governor and said he would continue DeSantis’ policies as much as possible. “I helped build the free state of Florida with this governor, and I don’t want to go backwards,” he said. “That’s why I got in the race.”
During the 2023 session, he said, Florida had what conservatives have called “the session of the century,” which included passing a near-total ban on abortion and allowing people to carry concealed weapons without a permit, issues the Editorial Board has opposed.
“We would just keep putting all these conservative wins up that the governor supported and signed, and I got through the Legislature,” he said. “And so, if you like the philosophy and the philosophical direction, you’ll like me as governor.”
There are new challenges facing the state, though, that the next governor will have to focus on. Among them: how to handle massive data centers that power artificial intelligence and use a lot of water and electricity. Renner said the state should put the centers on pause for the long haul. “We need to have a statewide moratorium — ban, halt, whatever you want to call it, but indefinitely — because we’re not going to build first and ask questions later,” he said.
He agrees with cutting property taxes on primary homes but said he envisions something bolder than the ballot item going to voters in November that expands homestead exemptions to $250,000. He would increase the exemption to $1 million, he said, and make up for lost revenue with a tax on visitors and real estate speculators. He wants to encourage first-time home buyers by waiving a documentary stamp tax levied on real estate transactions.
On Alligator Alcatraz — the tent-and-trailer immigration detention center that the state operated until recently west of Miami — he doesn’t disagree with the governor using emergency funds to pay for it, but he does take issue with the estimated $1 billion price tag: “I’m a business guy, and I can tell you just looking through the contract, having seen Alligator Alcatraz personally, I don’t see a billion dollars of work there, and so I could have probably done that a lot cheaper.”
He echoed some of DeSantis’ positions on the reform of higher education. He’s against DEI — diversity, equity and inclusion — at state universities, and he also said he wouldn’t allow “communist Chinese” students or professors in those schools. He supports enforcing immigration laws and calls it “an affordability issue” for taxpayers.
Renner may not be the flashiest candidate, but he has appeal for those who want current policy continued. Donalds has received the lion’s share of financial backing in this race, but he’s been attacked by opponents as being co-opted by the AI industry. Donalds’ campaign declined to meet with the Herald Editorial Board. Collins also did not attend an interview with the Board.
And then there’s Fishback, whose candidacy just survived an attempt by Collins to remove him from the ballot based on residency issues. He has engaged some younger voters on issues such as his opposition to data centers, his focus on the affordability crisis and his proposal to revive the state’s agricultural sector. He also used racially charged attacks on Donalds, who is Black, calling him a “slave” and a “DEI” Republican.
The Miami Herald endorses PAUL RENNER in the GOP primary for governor.
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Who decides the political endorsements?
In advance of local and state elections, Miami Herald Editorial Board members interview political candidates, as well as advocates and opponents of ballot measures. The Editorial Board is composed of experienced opinion journalists and is independent of the Herald’s newsroom. Members of the Miami Herald Editorial Board are: Amy Driscoll, editorial page editor; and editorial writers Isadora Rangel and Mary Anna Mancuso. Read more by clicking the arrow in the upper right.
What does the endorsement process look like?
The Miami Herald Editorial Board interviews political candidates to better understand their views on public policy and how their policies will affect their constituents. Board members do additional reporting and research to learn as much as possible about the candidates before making an endorsement. The Editorial Board then convenes to discuss the candidates in each race. Board members seek to reach a consensus on the endorsements, but not every decision is unanimous. Candidates who decline to be interviewed will not receive an endorsement.
Is the Editorial Board partisan?
No. In making endorsements, members of the Editorial Board consider which candidates are better prepared to represent their constituents — not whether they agree with our editorial stances or belong to a particular political party. We evaluate candidates’ relevant experience, readiness for office, depth of knowledge of key issues and understanding of public policy. We’re seeking candidates who are thoughtful and who offer more than just party-line talking points.
This story was originally published July 31, 2026 at 3:10 PM.
