Election 2026: Where Byron Donalds stands on data centers, schools, home insurance, and Medicaid

TAMPA, Fla. - Republican nominee for governor, Byron Donalds, called for wholesale permitting reform to bring down housing costs and set a goal of math, reading and writing mastery for every Florida graduate. 

In a one-on-one interview with FOX 13 Political Editor Craig Patrick, Donalds also addressed energy and climate, teacher pay, school vouchers and services for Floridians with disabilities.

You can watch the full interview in the video player above.

Data centers: local governments decide

The backstory:

Florida's law requiring data centers to bear their full utility costs applies to the major power suppliers, but not to municipal utilities or rural co-ops. Craig asked what would stop data centers from locating in those areas, beyond the reach of the consumer protections, if local governments approve them.

Donalds on local control

Donalds said local communities, not the state, approve data centers, and that rural co-ops are typically in places with rural local governments. He said the large utilities are regulated by the state, and that co-ops "have no interest" in passing costs on, because they are owned by their members.

"We will make sure that even if it's in a rural cooperative, it's not one of the big utilities, that utility bills don't grow up for those citizens as well," he said.

Donalds opposes state preemption on this issue, though Florida's Republican-led government has preempted local governments on others. He said the state doesn't issue building permits for a facility of several million square feet; local governments do.

"It is now state law in Florida that if local governments say no data center, then no data centers," Donalds said.

He said the legislation's author is his running mate, Brian Avila.

By the numbers:

• 27: counties or municipalities that Donalds said have issued a moratorium or ban. He said he thinks three have issued outright bans.
• June 1, 2027: when Donalds said a state-commissioned data center study is due back.

The other side:

Donalds said his opponent, David Jolly, wants a statewide moratorium to study the issue. Donalds argued the study is already underway and the findings will be released to the public and local governments.

"If he wants to be governor, he should actually read the law," Donalds added.

Transportation: express lanes

The backstory:

Florida keeps adding express lanes to existing roads that taxpayers already paid to build, and wealthier drivers can more easily pay the tolls.

Donalds on road funding

Donalds called express lanes one way Florida has tried to catch up on infrastructure after so many people moved to the state following COVID-19, but said he wants to grow the transportation budget.

"I want to see us continue to expand the state's transportation budget so we can build those roads so that all Floridians will be able to drive on them and not have to pay a fee," he said.

Environment: the Ocklawaha River and Everglades

The backstory:

The failed Cross Florida Barge Canal left much of the Ocklawaha River dammed, restricting flow and the emergence of natural springs. Craig asked whether Donalds supports removing the Kirkpatrick Dam and restoring the river.

Donalds on the dam and waterway restoration

Donalds said he is not as familiar with the dam, and did not take a position on removal. He pointed instead to his record on Everglades restoration and a plan for waterways statewide.

"We're going to finish Everglades restoration in my time as governor," he said.

Donalds said his team has released a coastal corridor plan, a "universal strategy" covering waterways from river basins to coral reefs.

Donalds also tied the environment to the state's economy. "There would not be economic growth in Florida without environmental protections," he noted.

Climate change and energy

Craig asked whether he believes human activity, particularly burning fossil fuels, is contributing to climate change and making extreme weather more severe. His answer was short.

"No, I don't," Donalds said.

Donalds said his focus is on affordable energy. He blamed higher energy costs partly on the conflict in the Middle East and partly on federal energy policy that favored climate policy and subsidized solar. He said he supports resilience measures, and that the state's energy strategy should center on nuclear power and natural gas.

"That's nuclear power and natural gas. That's how you get cheap energy that people can afford," he said.

Education: Bright Futures textbooks

The Legislature ended the textbook stipend for Bright Futures academic scholars. Donalds said that happened after his time in Tallahassee, and that lawmakers likely did it to keep the broader scholarship paying tuition for as many students as possible. He did not commit to restoring it.

"It's not just an unlimited pot of money," he said.

He said the state could study textbooks later, but tuition comes first.

Education: engineering degrees and math skills

By the numbers:

• 540: fewer engineering bachelor's degrees Florida universities awarded last year than four years ago, a drop of about 10%, according to the question posed to Donalds.

Donalds said the goal is to double the number of engineers Florida universities graduate. He said the university chancellor told him that requires students to leave high school with stronger math skills, which is why he is setting a goal of mastery of math, reading and writing by graduation.

"We want the children of Florida to be essentially the hottest, the most in-demand set of children anywhere on the planet," Donalds said.

He also said he wants students to know their degrees will pay off.

"We all know all college degrees are not the same," Donalds added.

Education: why scores slip after elementary school

Big picture view:

Florida does comparatively well in elementary achievement but loses ground in later grades, as national assessments show. Donalds outlined three focuses:

• Funding flexibility: give school districts more flexibility in how money is spent, which he said fits a choice environment.
• Reading and math: train all teachers in the science of reading, with phonics as the foundation, which he said also helps with high-level math. He said mastery goals would cover eighth grade as well as the fourth-grade results seen in the NAEP.
• Personalized success plans: if parents opt in, each child would get a plan charting progress toward mastery and pointing to credentials, courses, apprenticeships or internships under what he called the Launchpad initiative.

Education: teacher pay and physics

By the numbers:

• 50th: Florida's average teacher pay ranking among the 50 states and DC last year, according to the National Education Association.
• 20%: share of Florida's large public high schools that did not teach physics in the past school year.

Donalds said low pay makes recruiting harder. His proposed trade-off is more spending flexibility for districts in exchange for finding ways to pay teachers more, by loosening the state's strict "categoricals."

"We want to be able to pay teachers more. The number one way we can do that is by providing flexibility," he said.

He said new spending depends on growth.

"The way we raise additional tax dollars is we have a thriving and growing economy," Donalds noted.

On physics, he said individual districts, not Tallahassee, should decide which high schools teach it, and that students must first do well in Algebra 1 and 2.

"You don't really want to dictate that from Tallahassee," he said.

Education: school vouchers

The backstory:

Donalds has championed school choice since his years in the Florida House. In January 2023, he signed a letter urging lawmakers to pass House Bill 1, which expanded eligibility for state education savings accounts to all K-12 students. 

Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the bill into law that March. He also made the case for school choice in a speech on the opening night of the 2024 Republican National Convention. His wife, Erika Donalds, is a prominent school choice and charter school advocate.

The other side:

Critics of universal vouchers argue private schools may raise tuition to absorb public money, and some research suggests that may be happening. Donalds said his team has looked at the research, but he would let parents decide and judge schools by results.

"You let the consumer be the beginning and the end of that decision," he said.

He said his concern is whether children are reading, doing math and writing at grade level, and pointed to SAT and ACT scores.

Craig asked whether private schools that teach that evolution does not occur, or that humans lived alongside dinosaurs, should be able to accept public vouchers. Donalds did not say whether those schools should qualify. He said the state would not force private schools to accept voucher money, and that the choice belongs to parents.

"We trust parents more than we trust institutions," he added.

He said his mother was a "school choice mom" in New York City in the 1980s.

Education: science standards

What's next:

The state is writing new K-12 science standards. Donalds said he would have no problem requiring students to learn biological evolution and the scientific consensus on the ages of the Earth and universe, and would review the standards with his team if elected.

"I have no problem with that. I think there's large consensus on those topics," Donalds said.

He added that a parent who sends a child to a Christian school that teaches evolution alongside other views is making their own choice.

Disabilities: APD and the iBudget waiver

By the numbers:

• 23,000: number Donalds cited of people on the waiting list for the Agency for Persons with Disabilities (APD).
• $450 million: unspent funds APD has accumulated. With the federal match, the figure is more than $1 billion.

Donalds on APD reforms

Floridians with developmental disabilities wait years for home-based services through the iBudget waiver. Donalds said APD needs "major reforms" but declined to say whether it is adequately funded.

"I won't talk to the funding specifically. I actually want to sit down and study those budget line items with my team," he said.

Donalds did not specifically commit to drawing down at least half of the unspent money, but said idle money helps no one.

"Just sitting in a government account doesn't help anybody," Donalds said.

He said he made a commitment to families at the Family Cafe conference this summer.

Donalds stopped short of a commitment on moving all Medicaid-funded services for people with developmental disabilities from the iBudget waiver to a managed care model.

"Maybe. I don't want to make that commitment," he said.

He said he would study the question and that the goal is for qualified people to get benefits "as quickly as humanly possible" without waiting lists or bureaucracy.

On protecting home and community-based services if federal policy or funding changes, Donalds said yes, and that he would work with Florida's congressional delegation to keep federal funding in place. He added that his administration would check for fraud.

"We're also going to be minding the store to make sure they're not being wasted or being fraudulently used," Donalds added.

Medicaid: Kid Care and expansion

The backstory:

The governor signed Kid Care into law in 2023 as an affordable alternative for children who lost Medicaid coverage in the post-pandemic "unwinding," but the state still has not implemented it. Craig asked whether he would implement it in his first year.

Donalds did not give a timeline. He said it is something he will "look hard at" and make sure the state implements it correctly so it can sustain the program.

The other side:

Donalds tied Kid Care to his opposition to expanding Medicaid to able-bodied adults ages 18 to 55. He argued every issue discussed in the interview needs more resources, and that expansion would crowd out funding for Kid Care, the environment, education, transportation and services for people with disabilities.

"We're not going to expand Medicaid," he said, arguing that expansion would leave the state without the resources it needs for other priorities.

What's next:

The main sticking point for Kid Care appears to be a federal requirement of 12 months of continuous coverage. Donalds said he has "nothing wrong with that provision" and expects to work through it, adding that the state must implement the program carefully.

Affordable housing: permitting over subsidies

The backstory:

The Live Local Act gives developers subsidies and breaks if they cap rents on some units. The ceiling sits at 120% of area median income, which can put it at or above going rates, as FOX 13 has found. Craig asked whether the program could subsidize apartments developers would have built anyway.

Donalds on permitting reform

Donalds said that is one of the major concerns with Live Local, and that he would rather focus on what he called wholesale, top-to-bottom permitting reform.

"It can't take two years to put a shovel in the ground," he said.

He said delays raise costs for the end user, whether a renter, small-business owner or young family.

By the numbers:

• 30%: share of the cost of a new home that is government, according to a National Association of Home Builders study Donalds cited.

"If 30% of the cost of new construction is governmental permitting and governmental timelines, we need to reform that system," Donalds said.