![\"Students](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/fishback1.JPG\" "\\"fishback1.JPG\\"")
Students attend a meeting of USF\u2019s Turning Point USA chapter as James Fishback on Monday, Oct 6, 2025, in Tampa. Douglas R. Clifford Times <\/p>\n
The likelihood of James Fishback becoming Florida\u2019s next governor is very small. But that decision should be left to Republican voters. That\u2019s why I don\u2019t think he should be removed from the ballot, despite a lawsuit by fellow gubernatorial candidate Jay Collins asking a court to do just that.<\/p>\n
Collins, Florida\u2019s current lieutenant governor, argues in the lawsuit<\/a> that Fishback doesn\u2019t meet Florida\u2019s seven-year residency requirement because he lived and voted in Washington, D.C. The suit contends that Fishback falsely stated under oath that he was qualified to run for Florida governor even though he wasn\u2019t.<\/p>\n There may be merit to those claims. Fishback registered to vote in Washington in 2020, voted there and claimed a homestead exemption on a Washington property. Fishback counters that he is a fourth-generation Floridian who has maintained lifelong ties to the state, including holding a Florida driver\u2019s license issued in 2016.<\/p>\n When I asked Fishback about the lawsuit, his answer was blunt: \u201cIf you can\u2019t beat them, drag them into court and attempt to disenfranchise hundreds of thousands of voters.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThis attempt to rig an election to disenfranchise voters is completely un-American and illegitimate,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n In less than two weeks, a court will determine whether Fishback meets Florida\u2019s legal requirements. But the timing of Collins\u2019 challenge can\u2019t be ignored.<\/p>\n At a virtual press conference on Thursday, I asked Collins why he filed the lawsuit just six weeks before the primary. He said state law required a candidate to officially qualify before a legal challenge could move forward. His goal was to \u201cprotect the sanctity of our ballot\u201d and \u201cprotect election integrity.\u201d That\u2019s a worthy objective. Even so, a late legal challenge also carries consequences.<\/p>\n A hearing is scheduled for July 21, but Leon County Circuit Judge David Frank<\/a> has already indicated it\u2019s likely too late to stop ballots from being printed. Even if Collins prevails, Fishback\u2019s name could remain on the ballot, creating confusion for voters and setting the stage for a potential post-election legal fight.<\/p>\n