2026 Florida gubernatorial election

The 2026 Florida gubernatorial election will be held on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, to elect the governor of Florida. Incumbent Governor Ron DeSantis will be term limited through the state's constitution and cannot run for reelection to a third term.

 Eligibility & requirements 
Section 5 of the state's constitution states for a person to serve as governor must:

 be at least thirty years old.
 be a permanent resident in Florida for at least seven years.

 Election process and term limits 
The governor is indirectly elected by the citizens of Florida through the Popular election to a four-year term, along with the lieutenant governor candidate and the incumbent lieutenant governor of Florida. The gubernatorial candidate or incumbent governor must have at least majority votes in order to win the election.

The state's constitution forbids anyone from being elected governor more than twice.

 Possible debate topics 

 Abortion 
The Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization decision in June 2022, which overturned the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision and permitted U.S. states to fully ban abortion for the first time in nearly 50 years, has made abortion a more possible issue. In the 2026 election, the topic of abortion is expected to play a major role in the Republican Party.

 Crime 
Due to mass shootings increasingly surging in the United States, the Democratic Party has advocated for an assault weapons ban. This is most likely a major campaign topic to play out in both parties.

 Covid-19 pandemic 
The Covid-19 pandemic left a major effect in Florida, leaving over more than 70,000 deaths and over 5 million confirmed cases. This issue will most likely be the main topic within the Republican Party.

 Republican Party 
Incumbent Governor Ron DeSantis was elected in 2018 and was reelected in 2022, and cannot seek reelection to a third term due to the state's constitution of term limits.

Potential candidates haven't stated or expressed interest in running yet but might do so such as, Lieutenant Governor Jeanette Nuñez, Attorney General Ashley Moody, Congressman Matt Gaetz, Secretary Of State Marco Rubio or Florida First Lady Casey DeSantis

 Democratic Party 
Potential candidates haven't stated or expressed interest in running yet, but the following individuals have been floated as possible candidates:

 Jason Pizzo, Member of the Florida Senate since 2018
 Anna Eskamani, Member of the Florida House of Representatives for the 42nd District
 Lauren Book, Member of the Florida Senate since 2016
 Gwen Graham, former U.S. Representative for Florida's 2nd Congressional District
 Nikki Fried, Florida's 12th Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services (2019-2023), Chair of the Florida Democratic Party (2023-present), and former candidate for Governor in 2022.
 Shevrin Jones, Member of the Florida Senate since 2020
 Buddy Dyer, 32nd Mayor of Orlando, Florida (2003-present)
 Stephanie Murphy, former U.S. Representative for Florida’s 7th Congressional District

 References 

Category:2020s in Florida
Category:2026 elections in the United States
Category:Gubernatorial elections in the United States