James Fishback names running mate for 2026 run for Florida governor

James Fishback, the insurgent Republican candidate for Florida governor, has named Sean Lozano, a former south Florida police officer, as his running mate for the 2026 election.

Fishback made the June 25 announcement in Tallahassee, outside the offices of the state's Division of Elections, where he earlier in the month filed his qualifying paperwork.

Lozano had been Fishback's deputy campaign manager, according to his social media pages. As lieutenant governor, Fishback said, Lozano will have several duties, including cracking down on homeless encampments and “teen takeovers.”

"I asked Sean to join this ticket for one reason: I need a trained law enforcement officer by my side to continue Gov. [Ron] DeSantis's law-and-order wins," Fishback told reporters.

According to a campaign press release sent out minutes after the announcement, Lozano "most recently served as a police officer with the Lauderhill Police Department in South Florida, where he worked on violent crime, narcotics investigations, and served as a member of the Tactical Quick Response Force.

"In 2025, Lozano was named Officer of the Quarter for his work taking violent offenders off the street," it added. Lozano said he loved being a police officer but that people need to stop treating police “like they are the problem.”

According to 270ToWin, a website that aggregates polling and election data, Fishback is now averaging second (8.5%) in the latest opinion polls, ahead of GOP competitors like Lt. Gov. Jay Collins (6.5%) and Paul Renner (2.5%), a former Florida House speaker.

That's still far behind the for-now presumptive nominee, President Donald Trump-endorsed Naples congressman Byron Donalds (51%).

Fishback running an outsider campaign

According to previous reporting by the USA TODAY Network, Fishback has quickly drawn attention as an outsider in Florida politics with an almost guerrilla campaign style. His candidacy has positioned him as breaking from politics as usual, challenging both Democrats and the state's Republican establishment.

Fishback has built much of his message around appealing to younger conservatives, drawing energetic and engaged crowds, though it's as yet unclear how much that enthusiasm will translate into votes.

Fishback made waves recently when he showed up at a Donalds event in Lake City with a bullhorn and a cadre of supporters, haranguing Donalds – who is Black – over being a “slave” because of campaign contributions from the Israel lobby and others.

"I use that word intentionally," he told reporters June 25. "I will apologize for calling Byron Donalds a slave when he gives back the $81 million he has taken from [the American Israel Public Affairs Committee], hedge‑fund billionaires and special interests who are trying to pave over the state and turn us into a concrete jungle.

This story contains previously published reporting. Jim Rosica is a member of the USA TODAY Network – Florida Capital Bureau. Reach him at [email protected] and follow him on X.com: @JimRosicaFL.