Defeated Republican gubernatorial candidate James Fishback recently sent an open letter to Florida Governor-elect Byron Donalds, asking him to keep his promise to let local communities say no to data centers. The letter sparked major backlash online, as users were divided over whether to support Fishback.
In the letter, shared on X, Fishback asks Donalds to support a plea from 500 Auburndale residents in Polk County, Florida, who oppose the construction of a local data center.
Fishback claims officials are ignoring the residents’ will and proceeding with the project anyway, so he asked Donalds to commit to using the governor’s regulatory power to “protect the people of Auburndale.”
The Republican also cited a post Byron made during the campaign, promising to “protect water and the people’s electric bill” in Florida by stopping data centers from being built when local communities don’t want them.
Internet Sides With Fishback Against Donalds
X users had mixed reactions to the message. Many stood alongside Fishback, indicating they did not believe “Data Center Donalds” would stop data centers from being built in Florida. One person wrote: “The data center grift is absurd.”
Others criticized the Florida governor-elect: “Byron ain’t reading that unless there is a lobbyist check attached.” Some even called him a liar: “Just like he lies about everything else, I am expecting electric costs to go up.”
However, not everyone was siding with Fishback online. One person claimed that “there are a large number of people who want this specific data center as well.” Someone else responded: “Just as we repeatedly warned you would happen, local governments are ignoring the will of the people and approving AI Data Centers anyway. That’s why Byron Donalds felt so comfortable saying these decisions would be left to local governments.”
One person turned their outrage toward Fishback, however, accusing him of having no standing to make any demands: “One of the funniest things in politics this year is Fishback actually believing he’s relevant. Dude got 10% in the primary.”
As Donalds succeeds Ron DeSantis as governor of Florida, it remains to be seen how the controversial data centers will be handled in the Sunshine State.
