Legal Challenge Filed in Florida Gubernatorial Race
On Monday, Florida’s Republican Lt. Gov. Jay Collins initiated a legal challenge regarding the eligibility of fellow Republican candidate James Fishback in the upcoming gubernatorial race.
According to Florida law, candidates for governor must have resided in the state for at least seven years prior to running. Specifically, they should have been residents since November 3, 2019. Collins argues that Fishback registered to vote in Washington, D.C. in 2020 and purchased a condominium there in 2021, declaring it his primary residence. He reportedly took advantage of the D.C. Homestead deduction through the 2026 tax year.
To qualify for the D.C. Homestead Exemption, homeowners need to claim their D.C. home as their primary residence on an application. In April 2026, the D.C. Department of Taxation and Revenue supposedly adjusted Fishback’s property tax bill and removed his homestead deduction.
“We cannot afford to play games with the Florida Constitution that would result in handing over the Governor’s Mansion to Democrat David Jolly on August 19th,” Collins noted in a statement.
Both Collins and Fishback are vying for the position against Byron Donald, a candidate endorsed by President Trump, in the race to succeed Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Fishback has faced backlash for his remarks regarding Donald’s race, having called him a “black man” and a “donor slave,” along with disparaging comments about transforming Florida into a “Section 8 ghetto.” He also accused Collins of filing the lawsuit on behalf of Donald.
Fishback responded to the challenge by asserting that Collins is, in essence, acting as an illegal surrogate for Donald. He shared a picture of his driver’s license on social media to affirm his claim of residency in Florida since 2016.
“This baseless lawsuit is nothing more than a desperate and illegal attempt to stop our momentum, because they know we will win on August 18th,” Fishback stated.
Current polling suggests that Donald is ahead of Fishback by 46 points, whereas Collins leads Fishback by 49 points.
