GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Lines wrapped around the Reitz Union Wednesday afternoon, as (mainly young) people began lining up well before the doors even opened for a town hall with Florida governor Republican candidate James Fishback.
Running on a candidacy based on affordability, anti-AI, anti-Israel-U.S. relations and anti-property taxes, the 31-year-old Republican candidate came to UF to persuade college-aged voters to “hire” him for governor, as he put it. He spoke the vernacular of his younger audience, using phrases like goyslop (an antisemetic term), twitch streamer Clavicular, looksmaxxing and even made 67 jokes.
“I have zero political experience,” Fishback said. The audience began to clap. “I have zero years of going to the United States Congress, spending money that we don’t have, to buy weapons that we can’t afford, to give them to a country that is committing war crimes, known as Israel.”
Every seat in the partitioned off room was filled, with some people given standing room to hear the young millennial speak to a younger generation in the event hosted by UF College Republicans. Some people even stood outside the room, just listening to what the candidate had to say.
“I won’t vote for any GOP member who takes AIPAC money,” said Chris V., who did not want to give his full last name. AIPAC, or the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, is a lobbying group focused on strengthening the ties between the U.S. and Israel. Many young voters are against the U.S.’s relations to Israel, especially after the U.S. and Israel started a war with Iran in February.
As of Feb. 17, Republican Congressman Byron Donalds, Fishback’s opponent in the race, has received over $368,000 donated to his campaign by AIPAC, according to TrackAIPAC.
President Donald Trump has endorsed Rep. Donalds with his anti-immigration policies, economic-expansion goals and pro-conservative values.
Fishback, a white man, often refers to Rep. Donalds as “By’rone”, says he does not have the American people, or Republicans’ interests at heart, and has even called the Black representative a “slave”.
“I call him a slave because he’s a slave,” Fishback said. “And if he wants me to stop calling him a slave, give back the $45 million to AIPAC and Wall Street and the hedge fund billionaires. Until then, Byron Donalds, you’re a slave.”
“It’s kind of refreshing,” Chris V. said. “It makes him, to me anyway, less fake than your standard run of the mill politician.” He said voting for any candidate other than Fishback was out of the question, and would not vote if Fishback wasn’t the party’s nominee.
“There’s a right wing, there is a left wing, but both wings are attached to the same bird as the Uniparty, which is flying in the wrong direction,” Fishback said. “I am asking you, I am begging you to give me a 12-gauge shotgun to shoot that bird out of the sky!”
Throughout his speech, Fishback consistently toted the idea that he was the candidate for everyone, regardless of race or creed. He said that despite the partisan race, the elected Florida Gov. would be a Republican no matter what based on the previous voting behavior in the state. Fishback even encouraged any Democrat voters in the crowd to switch their party affiliation to Republican to vote for him.
“This is not about the Republican or Democrat, it’s not about left versus right,” Fishback said. “It is about right versus wrong.”
Kayla Arora, 15, is an education sciences major who identifies as left-leaning politically. She said she felt like Fishback’s social values fell toward the right while his economic values fell toward the left. Arora came to the event to learn more about what Fishback had to offer.
“I don’t think he’s the candidate, although his ideas are very interesting and definitely represent a shift within the Republican party,” she said.
Fishback’s speech ended with a standing ovation. He spent at least 20 minutes taking selfies and answering short questions from those who stood in line to take photos. While many polls show Rep. Donalds ahead of Fishback, Fishback has widely been recognized as having “seized the Gen Z right.”