Byron Donalds brought his “Defending the Florida Dream Bus Tour” to a close in downtown Sarasota Monday night, the eve of Election Day, with Sen. Ashley Moody, Attorney General James Uthmeier, CFO Blaise Ingoglia and Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson all speaking before him. Simpson told the crowd Florida’s debt has shrunk from $25 billion in 2010 to $8 billion today, while Moody called the state “the firewall of freedom.”
Donalds used his closing speech to make three specific promises: a 20% cut in insurance premiums, automatic building permits after storms, and property tax cuts regardless of how Amendment 3 turns out. He said he’s voting yes on the amendment, and he criticized opponent David Jolly for saying policy could be discussed on Nov. 4, a day after the election, telling supporters, “If you can’t talk about your policies to the people of Florida, you don’t deserve to lead our state into the future.”
For Suncoast voters, the insurance and storm-permit promises are the ones to watch. Homeowners from Bradenton to Venice have felt the squeeze of rising premiums and slow rebuilding permits, and both issues sit squarely with the next governor. Voters head to the polls Tuesday with the governor’s race and Amendment 3 on the ballot.
What’s the one issue driving your vote this year? Let us know in the comments.
