Florida’s 2024 Gubernatorial Race: Health, Education, and Local Power

The next governor will decide whether to retain Dr. Joseph Ladapo as Florida’s surgeon general. Ladapo, appointed in 2021, has opposed all vaccine mandates, recommended against COVID-19 shots for healthy children, and proposed in October 2026 to drop school requirements for chickenpox and hepatitis B vaccines. The Florida Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics opposes the rule change on public-health grounds. Donalds backs Ladapo’s proposal and says he would consider reappointing him. State law already limits the surgeon general’s emergency-powers and requires legislative action to alter school-vaccination mandates.

The Conversation

Florida’s universal voucher program, created in 2023, provides families an average of $8,000 in state funds for private or homeschooling options. The scheme cost an estimated $4.5 billion in fiscal year 2026 and has strained the state budget. Donalds supports the program, citing his own private-school experience, and proposes a universal scorecard so parents can compare school performance. Jolly also uses vouchers but calls for stricter standards—private schools must serve students with disabilities, tuition should not exceed the voucher amount, and eligibility should consider financial need. Both candidates acknowledge that any substantive reform would require cooperation from the Republican-controlled Legislature.

The Conversation

DeSantis’ tenure reduced local authority, including DOGE-style audits and the removal of 23 elected officials by August 2023. Donalds endorses further use of executive authority to audit local governments and to let communities decide on data-center construction. Jolly opposes these moves, advocating for local control over budgets and policies, and proposes a one-year moratorium—potentially permanent—on new data centers due to health and environmental concerns. The upcoming Amendment 3, which would lower homestead property taxes, is supported by Donalds and opposed by Jolly; critics warn it could force municipalities to rely more on state funding.

The Conversation

Regardless of the winner, the Florida Legislature has already set the parameters for vaccine mandates, voucher funding, and home-rule limits. Donalds can expect a friendly Republican majority for modest reforms, while Jolly will need to build bipartisan alliances to advance his more expansive changes. The election thus hinges on how each candidate navigates the balance between executive ambition and legislative reality.

The Conversation