Erik Morris celebrates his aunt’s 100th birthday with family members / Photo courtesy of Erik Morris.
Tampa project manager Erik Morris is running for Florida governor as a write-in candidate, proposing greater investment in public schools, stronger insurance coverage, and local oversight of new data centers.
Morris described how his professional experience and concerns as a father shaped his campaign. He wants to apply the skills he uses to coordinate complex projects to problems facing Florida families.
“I don’t care whether you’re red or blue or green or a no-party affiliation,” Morris said. “If you are in Florida, I want to try and help make things easier for you.”
Bringing project management to government
Morris has never held elected office. He pointed to his service on nonprofit boards and experience coordinating large projects as preparation for leading the state.
He works as a designer and project manager at Quince Imaging, where he said he leads permanent installations for theme parks, museums, and sports venues. His responsibilities include coordinating teams, assessing risks, and keeping projects on schedule and within budget.
“I’m always listening to people, seeing what their needs are, seeing what their concerns and their risks are,” he said.
The candidate said he entered the race because he wanted to bring his proposals directly to voters.
“I couldn’t think of how I could actually get that message out to the people that needed to hear it, except by being on the ballot myself, and that’s why I did that.”
He said he would meet with every state legislator, document their priorities, and identify concerns that affect multiple communities.
Morris described himself as a registered Democrat and his running mate, LeRoy Alaways, as a registered Republican.
“We don’t care about those labels,” he said. “We care about helping as many people as possible.”
Erik Morris and LeRoy Alaways in the workshop/ Photo courtesy of Erik Morris.
Expanding school programs and supporting teachers
Morris’s daughter is 13. He wants her and other Florida students to have opportunities to attend college or trade school, pursue the arts, or start a business.
His main education proposal, the ENOUGH Act – which he described as Educational and Nutritional Funding for Florida – would expand public-school programs, raise teacher pay, and provide free lunches for students, teachers, and school staff.
The plan also includes expanded access to free breakfast for lower- and middle-income students. Morris wants Florida farmers and ranchers to supply food for nutritious school meals.
He advocates for stronger instruction in foreign languages, arts, vocational studies, and STEAM.
For teachers, Morris proposes increasing the minimum salary and tying it to inflation. He argues that stronger compensation would help Florida retain educators and recruit new ones.
Morris would fund the proposal through a tax on high-end luxury tourism and by closing corporate tax loopholes. He said the plan would avoid tax increases for Florida families and 98 % of Florida businesses.
“It is never a bad investment to invest in your kids,” he said.
Strengthening insurance coverage
Morris wants insurers to provide coverage that better addresses the risks Floridians face.
“When a lot of people need insurance, insurance finds a way to not be there for them,” he said. “So, what are we actually paying for?”
He argued that homeowners insurance should cover hurricane and flood damage. He also supports health coverage without exclusions for preexisting conditions.
“If you’re going to provide home insurance, you need to cover hurricanes and floods,” Morris said. “If you don’t want to do that, we don’t need you here either.”
Morris described the state’s insurance option as a useful fallback for residents.
Giving communities a voice on data centers
The gubernatorial candidate supports a moratorium on new data centers and a hold on planned projects until developers address community concerns.
He wants residents to review projects’ benefits and risks, including electricity demand, water consumption, noise, light pollution, and environmental damage.
“If you live in that region, you should have an opportunity to have your voice heard,” Morris said.
He suggested developers examine solar energy, water recycling, and environmentally responsible desalination to reduce pressure on local resources.
Morris said he would support projects when communities approve them, and developers take steps to reduce their impact.
“If they don’t have those plans in place, then they’re not going to happen,” he said.
Proposing an ammunition tax
Morris said his proposed Second Amendment Integrity Act would impose an excise tax on ammunition to support mental health services, environmental protections, and school resource officers.
He said he asked gun-shop owners and friends who own guns to review the proposal, asking, “Does this negatively impact you?” Morris pointed out that the proposed tax would serve “a very specific purpose” and emphasized that “gun rights are still an American right.”
“So instead of just talking and arguing about it, let’s do something about it,” he said.
Challenging immigration enforcement
Morris identified the detention facility known as Alligator Alcatraz and the administration’s terrorism designations among his priorities.
He said he would ensure the facility was closed and seek an investigation into its operation, including concerns about costs falling on Floridians.
He also called for removing charitable organizations from the terrorism list and reviewing organizations he believes use intimidation and violence.
Considering support for youth sports
Morris said he would consider extending access to youth sports through public-private agreements and potential funding from his education plan’s projected surplus.
The candidate played youth sports growing up in Florida, and his daughter now swims competitively.
Erik Morris with his daughter/ Photo courtesy of Erik Morris.
He encourages her to succeed while supporting others.
“If you can win and succeed and along the way, also bring up other people, that is about the best outcome that you can have in any walk of life,” he said.
Running with limited resources
Erik Morris said his family encouraged his candidacy.
His wife urged him to act after hearing him discuss his ideas and struggle to find a way to share them.
“Stop talking about it and start doing something,” he recalled her saying.
His daughter supported the decision while running for school treasurer herself.
“So, we were both running campaigns at the same time, which has been fun,” Morris said.
He acknowledged how difficult it is to win as a write-in candidate. An uncle warned him about his low chances, but Morris said running allowed him to put his proposals into public discussion.
His limited budget also affects how he reaches voters. Morris explained that the campaign could not afford many yard signs.
Morris said some organizations sought hundreds or thousands of dollars for participation in town halls and chamber-of-commerce events.
“One of the interesting things that I’ve noticed in this campaign is how ridiculously baked into the system money really is,” Morris said.
He said he would not compromise his beliefs to gain funding and has no ambition to pursue higher office. After serving as governor, he would return to the career he enjoys.
“I don’t have any aspirations for anything beyond this except for making Florida as strong as it can be for as many people as possible,” he said.