Republican gubernatorial candidate Byron Donalds answered questions from UF students and Alachua County residents Wednesday evening, promoting property tax relief, school choice and a business-minded approach to state government.
The evening town hall at Emerson Alumni Hall was part of U.S. Rep. Donalds’ “Defending the Florida Dream Tour,” a campaign push to encourage young voters ahead of the Nov. 3 election.
His UF stop came one day after the Florida A&M University town hall, where Donalds, who attended FAMU in the 1990s, faced heated questions from students until a fire alarm interrupted the debate.
Over 100 attendees filled the seats surrounding the stage. The event began with a prayer of gratitude, followed by remarks on Donalds’ background in public service.
U.S. Rep. Kat Cammack opened by warning the audience of what she called “angertainment,” or social media content meant to keep people upset and reactive.
Her warning suggested “angertainment” is a method to distract from true governance and prevent national unity across the aisles.
She said politicians want “clickbait action because they’re in the race to the top of Mount Clickmore.”
Cammack, a Republican whose district encompasses UF, said Donalds is passionate about constituents’ concerns even in rooms without cameras.
Cynthia Chestnut, former mayor of Gainesville, introduced Donalds and used the occasion to explain her endorsement for him.
Her endorsement shocked local leaders because she has long been associated with the Democratic Party. Chestnut’s goal in endorsing Donald’s is “to advocate for my city and ensure that the people I serve have a meaningful opportunity to be heard,” she said.
She described Donalds’ commitments to listening to locals and keeping his office open to city leaders.
“We want to continue to have a great state where people can chase their dreams,” Donalds said to the room.
Donalds said Florida is a state of opportunity built on strong families, economic growth, education, public safety and limited regulation.
Throughout the Q&A session, Donalds was asked a variety of questions from students and other community members including topics like education, voter rights, property taxes and free speech.
Education
Donalds said he opposes diversity, equity and inclusion policies and supports merit-based standards. He also defended Florida’s approach to African American history education, describing the state’s AP African American Studies curriculum as “steeped in Black history.”
Donalds also said he supports giving local school boards more authority, allowing greater funding flexibility, and permitting parental access to instructional materials.
Voter rights
Collier County was among the counties once subject to pre-clearance under Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Pre-clearance meant any change to a county’s voting rules required federal approval.
The Supreme Court’s 2013 decision in Shelby County vs. Holder overturned this section.
When asked about the removal, Donalds said he questions whether pre-clearance is still necessary. He said there has been “not one case of discrimination based on race for voting in the United States.”
He also said he doesn’t know any Black people who’ve faced trouble voting in Collier County in the last 23 years since he started living there.
Property taxes
Donalds also said he supports Amendment 3, a proposed amendment that would lower property taxes for Florida homeowners.
He also proposed using the Tax and Budget Reform Commission to study property taxes, portability, fees and relief for seniors and working families.
Free speech
Donalds called himself an “absolutist” of free speech, including offensive language. He pledged to confront antisemitic harassment while protecting First Amendment rights.
Joshua Gabor, an 18-year-old UF philosophy, politics, economics and law freshman, is Jewish and said he wants Donalds to condemn the rising antisemitism.
Gabor was pleasantly surprised with the event, he said, and he’s used to politicians giving short answers with “no substance.”
Gabor identifies himself as a moderate conservative who believes the “Florida dream” means people can come to the state and achieve success if they work hard.
He said he doesn’t fully support the candidate, but he believes whoever Floridians elect will leave the state in “good hands."
For students like Gabor, the Q&A session was a rare chance to speak to Donalds face-to-face.
Garry Belcher, an 18-year-old UF philosophy, politics, economics and law freshman, said he was skeptical about Donalds at first, but he now sees the candidate as a “chill, down-to-earth and great guy.”
Belcher remains on the fence about who to vote for, he added, but Donalds’ open floor event catered to UF students added appeal to his campaign.
Contact Juleidi Machuca at jmachuca@alligator.org.
Juleidi is a history and journalism junior at UF and serving as one of the Fall 2026 Photographers. This is her fourth semester on staff and her favorite assignment to cover is protests. In her spare time, she can be found journaling or TikTok dancing.
