Floridas governors race is starting to sound a lot more like a fight over kitchen-table issues. The deeper we get into this election year the more Floridians and politicians are sparing over how to fix Floridas affordability woes.
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Florida gubernatorial candidates zero in on affordability as campaigns heat up
Affordability topics are quickly dominating this years election cycle for governor.
A recent UNF poll found affordability, the top issue for likely Florida midterm voters cutting across party lines. Thats as a separate statewide survey found independents breaking sharply toward Democrats and the governors race nearly tied frustration over affordability part of the reason.
We tested a few different affordability related issues, property taxes, property insurance, housing affordability, nearly 70% of voters ranked those issues as one of their top three issues, pollster Michael Worley said.
It helps explain why Republicans like Byron Donalds and Paul Renner are both leaning into cost issues. Donalds this week vowing to expand zero-tuition training for skilled workers while streamlining government.
If your primary concern is affordability, let me tell you something. 30% of the cost of a new home is government costs, Donalds said.
Renner is doing Affordability Now roundtables, even pressing state lawmakers to enact property tax reform immediately.
The Governor’s been calling for major reform for over a year and a half, and the legislature has failed to answer and he can’t put it on the ballot. There’s not anything on the ballot as we speak, to save $1 not $1 in property tax reform,” Renner said.
James Fishback posting online thats hes running so that our brothers and sisters dont have to sleep on the street.
And Lt. Gov. Jay Collins continues to align himself with Gov. DeSantis.
I dream of a state just like Gov. DeSantis where you can have your home, once you pay it off, free and clear of the government,” Collins said.
For Democrats Jerry Demings has been blasting a message that the GOP owns an unaffordable state, saying theyve had a legislative trifecta in Tallahassee since 1999. Its time for change.
David Jolly is hitting lawmakers for doing little this year on education, housing, and insurance.
Im most disappointed they did nothing about insurance for homeowners. The crisis is in insurance, Jolly said.
With the August 18 primary still ahead, both parties appear to be reading the same warning signs: voters, and especially swing independents, want relief more than rhetoric.
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