On the evening of April 11, the Ocean Breeze Inn on Ocean Drive became a focal point for Florida state politics. Over 100 attendees, predominantly young men, packed a Vero Beach conference room to hear from James Fishback, a 31-year-old Republican candidate vying to succeed Governor Ron DeSantis.
Fishback, who has never held political office, used his time on the Treasure Coast to directly address local economic concerns, contrasting his vision with that of his primary opponents.
“If you want a data center in Vero Beach, Byron Donalds is your guy. If you want to stand up for cattle ranchers and citrus growers, I’d like to think I’m your man,” Fishback told the crowd.
During his address, Fishback took aim at the leading Republican candidate, Byron Donalds. He utilized nicknames such as By’rone Donalds and AIPAC Shakur—a play on the American Israel Public Affairs Committee and rapper Tupac Shakur—which elicited laughter from the predominantly white audience.
Responding to questions from local residents, Fishback outlined several key policy platforms for his campaign:
- Housing Affordability: To combat Florida’s rising cost of living, Fishback proposed a ban on private equity firms purchasing single-family homes, emphasizing that he would not prioritize gross domestic product growth over residents’ quality of life.
- Education and Family: He advocated for increased teacher salaries coupled with strict limits on classroom discussions regarding race and gender identity. Additionally, he called for tighter abortion regulations while simultaneously pledging paid maternity leave for all women in Florida to help reduce the procedure.
- Second Amendment: Eliciting the loudest applause of the night, Fishback promised to lower the minimum firearm purchasing age from 21 back to 18, stating that the tragic 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School was improperly used as a pretext to disarm young adults.
- Foreign Policy: When questioned about Israel, he expressed a non-interventionist stance, noting that the United States should focus on domestic priorities and not be in the business of “filling up the cup for anyone else.”
While Fishback is currently tracking at approximately 5 percent in early polling among Florida Republicans, he has garnered national attention from young conservatives and secured an endorsement from political commentator Tucker Carlson.
Born in Davie to a Colombian immigrant mother and a father who worked in landscaping and public transit, Fishback attended Georgetown University before entering the financial sector. However, his professional and personal background has recently been the subject of public scrutiny.
According to reports and public records, Fishback’s professional history includes a disputed tenure at the hedge fund Greenlight Capital—where he abruptly resigned amidst accusations of sharing confidential information—and legal challenges regarding his investment firm Azoria Partners, which resulted in a judge ordering him to turn over company stock and a list of luxury purchases.
Furthermore, claims that Fishback served as an advisor for the federal Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) were explicitly denied by a spokesperson for the department’s leadership. Most recently, the candidate has faced significant controversy regarding a viral video from the University of North Florida, in which he was recorded telling a Black man that he “should be lynched.”
With candidate qualifying beginning on June 8 and the primary election scheduled for August 18, Indian River County residents can expect to see continued campaign activity as the crowded field of 42 gubernatorial hopefuls competes for Treasure Coast voters.
