Florida Governor's Race Comes to Treasure Coast as Field Takes Shape — and Fractures

VERO BEACH — James Fishback stood before a Vero Beach crowd this week pitching himself as Florida's next governor, talking housing affordability, abortion rights, and U.S. policy toward Israel. What he did not volunteer: his campaign account holds less than $28,000.

That financial reality hangs over a nascent gubernatorial field that is already sorting itself into tiers — and the Treasure Coast is getting its first close look at who wants to lead Florida after Ron DeSantis leaves office in January.

Fishback, a hedge fund manager and self-described reformer, made the Indian River County stop as part of a broader swing through the state. His policy pitch leaned centrist — he discussed housing costs that have squeezed working families up and down the Treasure Coast, and he addressed abortion access, a topic Florida Republicans have largely tried to sidestep since the 2024 election exposed its political cost. He also weighed in on Israel Officials said.

But at under $28,000 cash on hand Officials said, Fishback is operating at the margins. In a state where competitive statewide campaigns routinely burn through millions before a single TV ad airs, that number is not a war chest — it is a warning sign.

Meanwhile, the race's better-funded and better-connected contenders are executing with more discipline.

Byron Donalds, the former Collier County congressman, used a Sunday appearance on NBC's Meet the Press to stake out an aggressive foreign policy position that plays well with South Florida's large Cuban-American community. Donalds called for "full-scale regime change in Cuba," demanding that President Miguel Díaz-Canel step down and casting Cuba as a 67-year-old Communist dictatorship that has suppressed its people and rationed food. With Venezuela having cut off fuel shipments and a U.S. oil blockade deepening the island's energy crisis, Donalds is betting the Cuba issue heats up — and that he owns it.

Attorney General James Uthmeier, meanwhile, is methodically accumulating institutional support. The Florida Police Benevolent Association — representing 30,000 officers statewide — formally endorsed Uthmeier this week, with PBA President John Kazanjian citing the AG's work on law enforcement policy since taking office in early 2025. Uthmeier already holds the Florida Republican Party's endorsement, secured in January. His only GOP primary opponent is Steven Leskovich, a veteran attorney with no comparable institutional backing Officials said.

The Democratic side is quieter. Former state Sen. Jose Javier Rodriguez and Fort Lauderdale attorney Jim Lewis are running in the Democratic primary, though neither has broken through to significant statewide attention Officials said.

Framing the entire race is the budget dysfunction in Tallahassee. Lawmakers failed to pass a budget during regular session, and Senate President Ben Albritton this week told members not to return before a separate April 20 special session called by DeSantis for redistricting purposes — a detour that further delays the state's only constitutionally required legislative task. The impasse, driven by leadership infighting, has left Florida families waiting on a spending plan while affordability pressures persist coast to coast.

For Treasure Coast voters watching from Martin, St. Lucie, and Indian River counties, the picture is this: A well-funded establishment candidate in Uthmeier, a high-profile ideological challenger in Donalds — and a long-shot Vero Beach visitor who talks about housing costs but cannot yet back the talk with cash.

The Republican primary is set for Aug. 18. The general election follows Nov. 3.

This article was generated with AI assistance using publicly available information. It was reviewed and approved by a human editor before publication. TC Sentinel uses AI writing tools in accordance with FTC guidelines.