Florida Republicans Target Governorship

A candidate for governor in Florida, who previously faced accusations of an inappropriate relationship with a high school student, has made a rather unusual move by creating a Tinder account aimed at connecting with young female voters.

James Fishback, 31, launched the profile to “meet young female voters,” but it quickly backfired—within just an hour, he reported a drop in likes. Shortly thereafter, he sought donations to upgrade his account for unlimited likes.

“I joined @Tinder to meet with young women voters and share my plan to make it easier for them to get married, buy a home, and raise a family,” Fishback declared on X.

He highlighted a key point from his profile, promoting his stance that “Florida should provide paid maternity leave to all mothers.”

Later that day, the hedge fund manager lamented that he was “out of likes” and needed financial help to secure a Tinder Plus account.

In another post on X, he claimed to have racked up “2,000 matches” on the app.

Fishback jumped into the race to replace term-limited Governor Ron DeSantis, aiming for office in November 2026, and has often run a campaign marked by controversial remarks against his opponent, U.S. Representative Byron Donald.

In response to Donald, who is Black, Fishback insinuated that if he doesn’t want to be labeled a “slave,” he should return donations from corporate sponsors.

He further claimed in late January that “Byron wants to turn Florida into a Section 8 ghetto.”

Donald, having represented three terms in the House, currently leads in the race and received an endorsement from former President Trump last year.

Reports indicate that Fishback placed last among four candidates in a recent primary, attracting merely 3% support from registered Republicans.

Notably, the fourth candidate has been accused of sexual misconduct by a woman who stated that their relationship began when she was a 17-year-old high school student, prompting Florida’s Broward County School District to end its association with Fishback’s student program in 2022.

Court records show that Fishback, then 27, was working with a program aimed at facilitating debate activities in Florida schools when he began dating the student in the spring of 2022.

The woman claimed in legal documents that they lived together and were briefly engaged after she turned 18, alleging that he became abusive during their engagement, according to filings from January 2025.

Fishback has denied the allegations, asserting they are “completely false.”