A.G. Gancarski
Could a former House Speaker overcome President Donald Trump’s preferred candidate to succeed Ron DeSantis?
That’s the bet Palm Coast Republican Paul Renner is making by entering the Republican Primary for Governor.
Renner, a military veteran and a former state prosecutor, represented Palm Coast for eight years after previously losing a nail-biter Special Election in 2014 for a Jacksonville-based seat in the Legislature, a race he lost by just two votes out of nearly 12,000 cast. Since he left office, speculation has swirled about his next move, even as he served in meaningful roles including the Board of Governors for the State University System.
Now there is clarity, and an opportunity for him to come full circle in title, as he’s looking to move from the Board of Governors to the Governor’s Mansion.
Renner understands the odds and the competition he faces in former House colleague Byron Donalds and whoever may emerge from the current Governor’s inner circle. Yet he is confident he can make the case to voters around the state just as he did when he ran for the state House, and later in leading the House for two years.
This won’t be the first time Renner faces Donalds, and the last time, it was Renner who came out on top. In 2017 both were part of a four-member race for House Speaker.
His argument is rooted in continuing the current course of conservative governance.
“I’m running for Governor because I believe that I’m the right person that’s able to step in on day one and continue what this governor has begun, which is a hugely consequential legacy, and continue to fight to not only defend what we’ve built and defend the free state of Florida, but also to address challenges because we do still have challenges and we’ll always have new challenges ahead,” Renner told Florida Politics.
He said a lot of what he wants to do is rooted in what was done under his watch, including addressing affordability concerns, expanding school choice, reforming litigation, and helping to implement reforms to lower property insurance rates in the state, which even with some modest recent drops overall, remain among the highest in the nation.
More remains to be done, Renner said, including rolling back property taxes, a priority of Gov. DeSantis.
“They’ve grown at twice the national rate here in Florida, so people need relief, and I’m committed to delivering substantial relief to our homeowners, helping our seniors who’ve been in their homes for decades perhaps, and are getting eaten by taxes that are going up each and every year,” Renner said, adding that in addition to property tax abeyance, guardrails must be installed to ensure local governments don’t just make up the lost revenue in fees.
In addition to being worried about sustainability for older citizens, Renner is conscious of pressures on those just beginning their adult lives in a world where technology threatens to displace workers.
“You’ve heard these stories about people who are graduating with a computer science degree and they can’t find work because AI is doing all the coding, so I’m concerned about its effects on the workforce and I want to make sure that hard work is repaid with a good lifestyle and so that’ll be a principal focus.”
Asked about what his leadership style would be as Governor, Renner pointed to the smoothness of his time as House Speaker when he worked with DeSantis and Senate President Kathleen Passidomo.
“What I learned in the military is you criticize in private, praise in public, and I think that’s just good leadership one on one. And so what I would do is try to have the conversations … to make sure that we hash out any differences, we come to agreement and we come out as Republicans hand in hand,” he said, noting the importance of a “cordial relationship.”
“There were times where we disagreed sharply among the three of us, but in the end, we found a landing spot and worked together, and sometimes that meant I gave or the Governor gave or or the Senate President gave, but we worked really, really well together by simply airing criticisms in private and praising in public and moving forward together as a Republican Party, together.”
When asked how he would navigate the clearly defined Trump and the still-evolving DeSantis lanes in the race, Renner said he was confident DeSantis and Trump would back him if he becomes the nominee.
“In the meantime, I’m going to go out and deliver my message with conviction,” Renner said. “The reasons why I think that I’m best prepared to continue what the Governor has done over the last eight years, which has been extraordinary, and that voters will rally to that.”
“I’m not going to get in the middle of this endorsement versus that endorsement. I’m just going to go earn the trust of voters,” Renner added.
Renner is also undaunted by the $25 million Donalds has raised thus far between his campaign and his political committee, saying he’s confident his fundraising will be enough, even if he doesn’t match the Naples Republican dollar for dollar.
“I don’t believe that races are determined solely on that because we see that over and over again, but we will raise money. And you know, at the end of the day, we’ll have enough to compete competitively and again take our message to the voters,” Renner predicted.
