Dan@BcTelegraph.com
Former Florida House Speaker Paul Renner told a Union County candidate forum this week that he is running for governor to keep the state from “going backwards,” casting himself as the only candidate who helped build what he called the free state of Florida.
Renner, who said he is on a tour of all 67 counties that began at churches in Pensacola, told the crowd that voters should judge the field on two questions: why a candidate is running, and why that candidate over the others.
He pointed to his tenure as speaker from 2022 to 2024, citing a balanced budget, record tax relief, universal school choice, the Heartbeat Protection Act, the Halo Act protecting law enforcement, and laws restricting minors’ access to online pornography and addictive social media platforms. “Big tech lobbied up and we beat them,” he said.
Renner said his first act as governor would be calling a special session on affordability, faulting the Legislature for inaction. His plan would eliminate homestead property taxes for permanent residents, offset by spending cuts he estimated at $10 billion to $20 billion and replacement taxes shifted onto tourists, speculators and newcomers. He also pledged to cut insurance rates by up to 20 percent and to curb utility spending on solar.
He called for a statewide ban on hyperscale data centers, warning they would strain the grid and the aquifer.
Renner, a Navy veteran and former Broward County prosecutor, said a recent poll showed him moving into second place.
