Byron Donalds, Republican candidate for Florida Governor, opposes statewide pause on data centers, arguing it sends a dangerous signal to the business community, and advocates for local government authority to decide whether a facility belongs in their community
Statements / Candidates / Florida: Governor
Byron Donalds
REP. Candidate for Governor, Florida, on the November 3, 2026 ballot.
Listed by the Florida Department of State, Division of Elections, Candidate Tracking System: Candidate Listing for 2026 General Election (the full list downloaded from https://dos.elections.myflorida.com/candidates/extractCanList.asp with elecID 20261103-GEN) (The listing states no certification or as of date; it is the Division's live Candidate Tracking System read on 2026-10-09). Office, district and party are as the list gives them; the record adds no judgment.
In their own words
Byron Donalds, Republican candidate for Florida Governor, opposes statewide pause on data centers, arguing it sends a dangerous signal to the business community, and advocates for local government authority to decide whether a facility belongs in their community (as reported, September 28, 2026)
The newest statement on the record, quoted where the source quotes it; the full list is below. No for or against word is added.
Statements on data centers 27
Republican candidate for Florida Governor
Donalds advocates for local government control over data center decisions rather than state preemption
Republican candidate for Florida Governor
Byron Donalds opposes a statewide moratorium or ban on data center construction
Byron Donalds, Republican gubernatorial candidate, supports data center development and said state commissioned study due back June 1, 2027.
Byron Donalds, gubernatorial candidate, said local governments will maintain control over data centers in Florida and utility bills will not increase
Republican gubernatorial candidate
Byron Donalds expressed support for letting local governments decide whether to construct data centers.
Byron Donalds pledged to investigate the effects data centers would have on Florida communities if elected
Byron Donalds, gubernatorial candidate, said on Fox Business Friday that local governments will maintain control over data centers in Florida and utility bills will not increase.
Byron Donalds supports local governments making their own decisions about data center developments
Byron Donalds, Republican candidate for Florida governor, said decisions about data centers should be left to local governments
Republican gubernatorial candidate
Byron Donalds voted in May 2025 for House measure containing 10 year moratorium on state and local AI regulations, provision later removed by Senate
Republican gubernatorial candidate
Byron Donalds supports Florida SB 484 requiring data centers to cover service costs and utilize reclaimed water
Naples Republican gubernatorial candidate
Donalds now says he no longer agrees with the national moratorium and was not the biggest fan of that provision
Republican gubernatorial candidate
Byron Donalds in June 2025 said the future of Florida will be important for data centers and power as critical things for the state
Naples Republican gubernatorial candidate
Byron Donalds voted in May 2025 for the U.S. House's version of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which included a 10 year moratorium on enforcement of state or local regulations for artificial intelligence models
Not on the record: the record holds no bill called the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Read from the statement's words: Byron Donalds voted for the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (2025). Checked against the bills and roll calls the record holds.
U.S. Representative Florida 19th District
Byron Donalds expressed strong support for Florida state law SB 484 regulating data centers pushed by Governor Ron DeSantis
Republican candidate for Florida governor
Byron Donalds warned that a statewide freeze on data centers could drive investment elsewhere and opposes a moratorium.
Republican candidate for Florida governor
Byron Donalds supports keeping data centers away from homes and using cooling technology that conserves water, including systems that recirculate water or use air cooling.
candidate for Florida governor
Byron Donalds calls for AI bill of rights to protect children and families
Byron Donalds, GOP gubernatorial candidate, supports building AI data centers and hyperscale data centers in Florida
GOP gubernatorial nominee
Rep. Byron Donalds introduced legislation requiring large AI data centers to generate their own power and water rather than draw from public utilities
Byron Donalds said regarding data centers: We are wide open. We have actual land in this state that is still pristine, available to use
Byron Donalds argued that data stored in Florida is more secure than data warehoused in other states or foreign countries
Byron Donalds advocated for small modular nuclear reactors and closed loop water filtration systems as part of data center builds
Byron Donalds stated if elected Governor he would respect local bans on data center facilities
Florida Representative
Byron Donalds spent more than $2 million on advertising in his primary promising to protect Florida from data centers
U.S. Representative
U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds claimed SB 484 ensures utility rates will not go up due to data centers
Recorded votes on data center bills 0
The record holds roll calls for sitting members of Congress; none names this candidate.
Who is on the ballot comes from the state's own candidate list and the FEC's candidate file; what a candidate said comes from their own site, releases, transcripts and video first and from news second; a campaign's claim about a vote is checked against the roll call as recorded. How the record reads candidates.
