Gov. Ron DeSantis is doubling down on his call for lawmakers to act on a property tax proposal, and voters prepare to head to the polls in several special elections Tuesday.

DeSantis urges lawmakers to take action to end property taxes during Orlando visit

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis discussed his goal to eliminate property taxes in the state during a speech in Orlando Monday.

The governor spoke at a meeting of the Florida Association of Realtors, where he argued that property taxes have supported local government budgets at the expense of homeowners.

Instead, he said that foreign tourists could make up for the elimination of property taxes.

DeSantis praised the Florida House for looking to cut the budget by $5 billion, saying those funds should go to property tax relief for homesteaded properties.

“With that $5 billion, I’m proposing that the legislature direct that to immediate relief for all Florida homestead owners," DeSantis said. "And if we do that, we would end up with about $1,000 in property tax cut for every homesteaded Floridian, and that would make a big, big difference."

He is calling for a constitutional amendment to be placed on the 2026 Florida ballot that will allow for the elimination of property taxes.

The governor also said the state has a budget surplus and can handle funding shortages, if necessary.

He also talked about a possibility for sales tax relief depending on a millage break, saying there was a scenario where he could support lower sales taxes as well.

“How are you cutting taxes? Are you going to focus on what gets you the most bang for the buck to help Florida residents?" he asked. "That is where I think the focus needs to be. So, you gotta do property relief. If you want to do sales on top of that, I’m all for that, for sure, but this property stuff needs to be addressed.”

DeSantis said Florida homeowners are suffering from high property taxes and he wants to address the issue.

But some real estate agents say that despite the benefit for homeowners, there are some concerns about where this funding will come from and the impact it could have at the local level.

Real estate agent Cesar Sanchez believes while there could be benefits, there could also be some risks.

“It could be a double-edged sword," he said. "I mean, there’s definitely positive things that we can look at it from. The buyer and seller is going to be more affordability in regards to the homeownership. Because, if all of a sudden now you’re not paying property taxes, that’s going to be a significant drop on your monthly mortgage payment."

Sanchez said it could make homeownership more affordable and allow homeowners to stay at their homes for longer.

“It can also bring longer long-term affordability and encourage longer term staying in the properties for a longer period of time,” he said.

But he worries about what that revenue will be replaced with.

“At the end of the day, the property taxes is used to the infrastructure for the infrastructure of Florida," he said. "I mean, with buildings, roads, schools. So, this is a double-edged sword that we’ve got to figure out first, like, OK, where’s the money going to come from now?”

During his press conference in Orlando, DeSantis said foreign tourists and nonresidents should make up for the elimination of property taxes, taking some of the tax burden off of Floridians. 

Senate President Ben Albritton responded to the call by saying he would support "immediate relief" to voters in the form of a reduction in the state sales tax. 

"On tax relief, I like immediate relief for property owners in advance of an amendment for voters to consider. I also like immediate relief for Floridians who rent, as well as those who own property, via the sales tax. Both are big ideas, worthy of our consideration," he wrote on X. 

Albritton's post shows public support for a proposal first brought forward by Republican Florida House Speaker Danny Perez. That proposal would call for a reduction in the state sales tax from 6% to 5.25%. 

Florida lawmakers fall in behind Rep. Byron Donalds' bid for governor

Florida Reps. Cory Mills and Kat Cammack took to the stage at Rep. Byron Donalds’ kickoff rally for governor Friday, offering their early support for him in next year’s election.

“So let me ask you guys, are you ready to elect Byron Donalds as the next governor of the Sunshine State?” Cammack asked on the stage.

“Let’s get Gov. Byron Donalds elected as the next governor,” Mills said.

Rep. Vern Buchanan of Florida was the first member of Congress to officially endorse Donalds a couple of weeks ago.

President Donald Trump had encouraged Donalds, a close ally, to run for governor, and shortly after he gave him his full endorsement.

Other prominent Republicans are still weighing whether to succeed Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is barred by law from seeking a third term.

“There’s no criticism coming from Donald Trump about him. He sees him as completely loyal. He’s ideal. He’s a very outspoken MAGA loyalist,” Eckerd College Professor Anthony Brunello said.

Brunello says Trump’s endorsement of Donalds could backfire, depending on the president’s popularity.

“It was much easier for him three weeks ago, when, before, the national mood about what the Trump Administration is doing had really started to cook out and get into the bloodstream of the American public, and it’s getting there faster and faster at this point in time,” he said.

Florida First Lady Casey DeSantis has not ruled out a run for governor. If she enters the Republican primary race, some polls have indicated she could be the frontrunner.

The GOP primary for governor isn’t until Aug. 18, 2026, nearly 17 months from now. 

Central Florida voters will head to the polls Tuesday for special elections

Voters around Central Florida are heading to the polls in several special elections throughout the state Tuesday. One election in particular could impact the balance of power in Washington, D.C.

Congressional District 6:

This special election was called after President Donald Trump nominated Rep. Michael Waltz to National Security Advisor at the beginning of his term. Waltz won the district by 33%, making it one that was previously thought of as a shoo-in for Republicans to fill.

However, recent polling in the race has indicated a stronger chance for Democrats looking to narrow the gap. Florida Politics released a poll last week that showed Republican candidate and Florida state Sen. Randy Fine had just a four point lead in the race.

Political observers are taking note that the race in House District 6 appears closer than originally expected.

“Think about any other year over the last 20 years, an off-year election such as this one in Florida, in a heavily Republican district — what are the odds somebody would actually be making this much noise? So, that’s one sign that it’s a national bellwether,” Eckerd College Professor Anthony Brunello said.

House District 6 includes Flagler and Putnam counties, as well as parts of Lake, Marion, Volusia, and Saint John’s counties.

And while the district has been held by Republicans for more than three decades, voters will decide whether to buck that trend Tuesday.

Fine has the Republican nomination, and Josh Weil is filling the Democratic side of the ticket.

Additionally, there is Libertarian candidate Andrew Parrott, no-party affiliation candidate Randall Terry, and a write-in candidate.

President Donald Trump has endorsed Fine and took part in a tele-rally for him just a short time ago.

And the president’s close advisor, Elon Musk, is also getting involved in the race.

According to documents filed with the Federal Election Commission, Musk’s political action committee, America PAC, gave just over $10,000 to Fine’s campaign for “texting services.”

Musk’s PAC also gave the same amount to current Florida CFO Jimmy Patronis’ campaign for the U.S. House District 1 seat.

Weil and the Democratic party face an uphill battle trying to flip District 6 — about 48.9% of registered voters in the district are Republicans compared to just under 25.5% Democrats.

Another 22.4% — which could potentially make a difference — are registered with no party affiliation.

State Senate District 19:

This election is the primary to decide who will run to fill the spot left vacant by State Sen. Randy Fine after he decided to run for the CD 6 seat. He won the seat with 59% of the vote in November, compared to Democratic challenger Vance Ahrens’ 40% return.

Ahrens is the only Democrat running in the primary race, which was canceled. The four Republicans competing for the nomination on Tuesday are Marcelle Adkins, Mark Lightner III, Debbie Mayfield, and Tim Thomas.

State House District 32:

Last on the list of cascading elections, this special election was called because current House Rep. Debbie Mayfield vacated the seat to run for the State Senate District 19 seat.

The Democratic primary was canceled in the race, with Juan Hinojosa getting the nod. Currently, the primary election will be decided between three Republicans, Terrence Cronin, Brian Hodgers, and Bob White.

It should be noted that Mayfield earned the seat in November with 64% of the vote, compared to Hinojosa’s 35.7% return, making the seat a likely Republican-carried one in the upcoming general election.

Edgewater Council District 4:

Last up on the election list for Tuesday is a local council race in the city of Edgewater. This seat is empty after former Councilman Rob Wilkie resigned the post. The election will select the person who will serve the remainder of his original term, which is scheduled to end in  December 2028. The two qualified candidates in the non-partisan race are Eric Rainbird and Renee Sortman.