James Fishback is an investor, business executive, and political newcomer seeking the Republican nomination for Florida’s 2026 gubernatorial election. He plans to vote in the Republican primary on August 18, 2026.
Mr. Fishbach officially began his campaign for governor in November 2025. His candidacy will be his first campaign for elected office. He is running to succeed Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is barred from seeking a third consecutive term.
Mr. Fishbach is the founder and CEO of Azoria, an investment management company founded in 2023. The company has launched investment products focused on companies and individual stocks, but the independent trustee has resolved to liquidate and terminate two of Azoria’s exchange-traded funds in October 2025. Prior to founding Azoria, Mr. Fishback worked as a research analyst at hedge fund Greenlight Capital.
He also founded Incubate Debate, an organization that hosts debate competitions and provides training for junior high and high school students. The group announced it has held more than 100 free, in-person debates attended by thousands of students.
Mr. Fishback gained national attention in early 2025 with his proposal for what he called a “DOGE dividend,” in which a portion of savings identified through the federal Office of Government Efficiency would be distributed to taxpayers. Although Fischbach has said he advised or consulted DOGE, reports have questioned whether he had an official position within the effort.
Fishback has campaigned for governor as a conservative alternative to experienced elected officials. His platform emphasizes lowering Florida’s cost of living, eliminating or significantly reducing property taxes, restricting the use of immigrants and H-1B workers, protecting farmland, and limiting the construction of large data centers in residential and rural areas.
Fischbach is sympathetic to some of DeSantis’ policies while criticizing Republican front-runner Byron Donald, who has the support of President Donald Trump. Mr. Fischbach’s campaign has relied heavily on social media to appeal to young conservative voters, but some of his comments on immigration, race and American history have drawn criticism from political opponents and national media organizations.
Fischbach grew up in Broward County and attended Boyd H. Anderson High School, where he participated in debate. He then attended Georgetown University, dropping out to pursue a career in finance. He currently lives in North Florida.
