After a turbulent 2025, Florida politics heats up as the 2026 governor's race and redistricting fights loom
For an off year, 2025 was a surprisingly busy one in Florida politics.
President Donald Trump tapped several Floridians to join his administration, including Sen. Marco Rubio as secretary of state, Pam Bondi as attorney general and Susie Wiles as chief of staff.
Voters also marked the end of a long chapter in Miami politics.
Former Mayor Joe Carollo — and even his brother, Frank — were soundly rejected at the ballot box as Miami turned the page, electing Eileen Higgins as the city's first female mayor and the first Democrat to hold the office in nearly 30 years.
Scandal crossed party lines.
Democratic U.S. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick was indicted on allegations she stole $5 million in federal disaster funds, while the DeSantis administration is facing a criminal grand jury investigation into whether $10 million in Medicaid money was improperly steered to a political committee tied to the governor.
So what will 2026 bring?
Florida governor's race begins to take shape
The biggest political story of 2026 is likely to be the race to succeed Gov. Ron DeSantis.
U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds of Southwest Florida jumped in early, buoyed by an endorsement from Mr. Trump. But if Donalds hoped the endorsement would clear the field, it has not.
Lt. Gov. Jay Collins has openly flirted with entering the race. Former House Speaker Paul Renner is already running, as is James Fishback, a far-right candidate who has routinely attacked Donalds using racially charged language.
"Byron Donalds is a slave," Fishback wrote in one of several social media posts. "He is a slave to his donors. He is a slave to corporate interests."
Fishback has pledged to push DeSantis-style policies to further extremes, saying he would support a total abortion ban with no exceptions for rape or incest and would seek to end all immigration, both legal and illegal. He has also vowed to forcibly remove Afghan refugees living in Florida.
Democrats look to capitalize on voter fatigue
On the Democratic side, former Republican U.S. Rep. David Jolly is seeking the nomination, betting he can appeal to moderates after two decades of Republican control in Tallahassee.
"I was a Republican once. I was an independent once. Today I'm a Democrat," Jolly said earlier this year. "I'm in a very post-ideological space. I just want big ideas to solve big problems, and I think that's where most voters are as well."
Challenging Jolly in the Democratic primary is Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings.
"I've spent the last four and a half decades as a public servant, and that is my true passion," Demmings said shortly after announcing his candidacy. "The opportunity to bring about the change we want to see is an incredible blessing."
Property taxes and redistricting loom large in Tallahassee
In Tallahassee, one of the most consequential issues of 2026 could be property tax reform. DeSantis is pushing a proposal to eliminate property taxes for homesteaded homeowners, a plan that would require voter approval in November.
But the most contentious fight may center on congressional redistricting.
Florida's delegation currently includes 20 Republicans and eight Democrats. DeSantis has signaled interest in redrawing district lines in a way that could eliminate as many as five Democratic seats.
Among the most vulnerable are South Florida Reps. Jared Moskowitz and Debbie Wasserman Schultz.
"They are trying to ram through new congressional districts, partisan districts, to pick up seats," Wasserman Schultz told Bloomberg News. "They know when voters go to the polls next November, there is a freight train of opposition that will run over them."
Wasserman Schultz has vowed to fight any new maps in court.
All signs point to a politically volatile and closely watched 2026 for Florida.