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How James Fishback is reaching Gen-Z men in Republican Gubernatorial race

Florida State University students watch Republican Gubernatorial candidate James Fishback during a campaign rally in the backyard of a student's rental house on Jan. 23, 2026.
Tristan Wood
/
WFSU Public Media
Florida State University students watch Republican Gubernatorial candidate James Fishback during a campaign rally in the backyard of a student's rental house on Jan. 23, 2026.

It's unlikely Republican Gubernatorial candidate James Fishback will win during August's primary election.

Frontrunner Byron Donald's has fundraised millions and has Trump's endorsement.

But recent polling suggests Fishback is making waves with younger Republican Floridians.

He is polling at 4% overall, but 32% with likely Republican primary voters aged 18-32, according to a poll from the University of North Florida Public Opinion Research Lab. He's polling at less than 1 percent with voters over 55.

WFSU's Tristan Wood spoke with Fishback rally attendees and social media experts to unpack who Fishback is, how his campaign is reaching Gen-Z men, and what it says about young people's economic anxieties in Florida.

Tristan Wood is a senior producer and host with WFSU Public Media. A South Florida native and University of Florida graduate, he focuses on state government in the Sunshine State and local panhandle political happenings.