FORT LAUDERDALE, FL— Last night, Paul Renner delivered a commanding performance during “The Future of Florida” gubernatorial debate hosted by the Patrick Bet David Podcast — and made one thing crystal clear:
This race is a two-man contest between Paul Renner and Byron Donalds.
Renner overwhelmingly prevailed over the other candidates on stage, showing Florida voters exactly why he’s the tested conservative leader this moment demands. His command of the issues, his record of results, and his vision for Florida stood in sharp contrast to the rest of the field.
Senior Advisor Brett Doster said: “Speaker Renner absolutely crushed the competition in last night’s debate. Neither Collins nor Fishback could match his understanding on policy, and it is clear that his experience as a war veteran and leader of the conservative movement has prepared him to be the next Governor we deserve.”
During the high-stakes gubernatorial debate, Renner anchored his Florida First Agenda focusing on the top issue at hand for our residents, affordability and property tax reform. Renner positioned himself as the most detailed policymaker on the stage, contrasting the concrete numbers of his affordability plan to the broad rhetoric of all his opponents.
“I’m the only candidate with a plan on affordability. My proposal will truly end taxes for homeowners…it will have a $1 million exception on all taxes, so it will address 95% of homeowners and eliminate their homestead property tax. We have help for small businesses that will get a major tax cut, as well as help for renters. We do that through a combination of savings, and the $20+ Billion in replacement taxes my plan has for police, fire and first responders,” Renner detailed.
During the debate, Renner also drew a sharp contrast with his opponents and called for an immediate statewide ban on the construction of hyperscale AI data centers.
“We will ban at the state level hyperscale data centers. Period. Full stop,” Renner said.
Renner took it a step further and questioned Lieutenant Governor Jay Collins for sponsoring a previous legislative bill to bring AI data centers to Florida, pointing out how Collins is reversing his position for political expediency and pushing tax breaks that would make every day Floridians cover utility costs for Big Tech.
Renner added: “Florida’s economic future should be built on sustainable growth that puts residents first— not special interests.”
After last night’s performance, Paul Renner challenged Byron Donalds to join him at the next debate in order for Republican voters to see the clear contrast in records, agenda, and leadership.
“We’ve won the first round, but now it’s time for Byron Donalds to show up and give voters an opportunity to see the contrast in our records, agenda, and approach to leadership. To continue to refuse to debate is irresponsible and shortchanges the Republican voters of Florida,” Renner said.
Florida voters deserve a real debate. They deserve to hear from the candidates asking for their vote. And they deserve the chance to compare Paul Renner’s proven conservative record against Byron Donalds’ empty refusal to show up.
“Every voter in the audience, everyone watching, everyone in the state deserves a debate, and it’s disrespectful of Byron Donalds not to come on the stage and make his case as to why he is better able to lead the state for the next eight years. But there’s a reason why he won’t make the case that he’s better qualified than the other candidates: because he’s not.
“We need a governor who’s a battle tested leader. When I led, conservatives won every battle…and Governor DeSantis called my two years leading the Florida House as unmatched. To strengthen the Free State of Florida, you need the proven leader who helped build it…I’m the only candidate in this race who has stood up to the left and special interests and beaten them. As your next governor, I will get up every day and work just as hard as you do to put the people of Florida First,” he concluded.
To watch the full debate, visit: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=TIfBM4p0TEg.