TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Republican gubernatorial candidate James Fishback announced Friday he will participate in an unsanctioned debate hosted by a CBS affiliate in Jacksonville, directly defying a Republican Party of Florida directive and prompting the RPOF to immediately rescind his invitation to its official Sunshine State Showdown candidate forum and other primary activities.
Fishback made the statement during a press conference in Tallahassee, declaring:
“We are having a debate on July 15th — whether Byron Donalds shows or not.”
On Jan. 6, the RPOF issued a memo announcing it would coordinate the 2026 statewide candidate debates, modeled after the Republican National Committee’s presidential primary process. The party explicitly stated that outside debates or forums would not be sanctioned by the RPOF.
Republican Party of Florida chairman Evan Power announced it was rescinding Fishback’s invitation after he immediately turned around and violated the rules he had just agreed to follow:
“After conversations with numerous Republican leaders, grassroots activists, and stakeholders from across Florida, it has become clear that entertaining Mr. Fishback’s overtures to participate in official Republican Party activities was a mistake. Rather than participate in the Party’s official process, Mr. Fishback immediately chose to promote and participate in a rival, unsanctioned event in violation of Party rules. He has also continued his antisemitic and racist attacks on members of our party. As a result, the Republican Party of Florida is rescinding his invitation to participate in the Sunshine State Showdown and other official gubernatorial primary activities. We want to be clear; racism and antisemitism have no place in our party. We must hold ourselves to a higher standard and we will continue to do so at the Republican Party of Florida.
The Republican Party of Florida cannot sanction participation in official Party activities while simultaneously allowing candidates to undermine those same activities through competing events. Florida Republicans deserve a fair and orderly primary process, and no candidate is entitled to participate in official Party events after choosing to violate the rules that govern them.”
RPOF Chair Evan Power
The RPOF statement noted that Fishback’s remarks in Tallahassee were “littered with falsehoods and baseless accusations about the Republican Party of Florida, its leadership, and the Republican primary process.” It accused him of putting “personal ambition ahead of the integrity of the Republican nomination process” and continuing a pattern of attacks on the Party and fellow Republicans.
“Mr. Fishback’s conduct today confirmed the concerns many Republican leaders had expressed from the beginning,” Power said. “Republican voters deserve candidates who can make their case without attacking the Party, spreading falsehoods, or disregarding the rules that apply to everyone else.”
No sanctioned debate is currently scheduled because only Donalds, the Trump-endorsed congressman who holds a commanding lead in polls and fundraising, has met the qualification thresholds.
The dust-up underscores ongoing tensions in the crowded Republican primary for governor to succeed term-limited Gov. Ron DeSantis. Donalds remains the heavy favorite, bolstered by strong polling, significant financial support and high-profile endorsements.
