At a Commitment 2026 event in Orlando, the two leading candidates for Florida governor took the stage to explain how they would make property insurance more affordable for Floridians. Both candidates framed the issue as a matter of family budgets, community resilience and responsible government.

Donald’s “Bring Down the Bill” plan

Byron Donalds told reporters he would cut premiums by roughly 20 percent. He said the savings would come from four pillars: preserving the tort‑reform measures enacted by Gov. Ron DeSantis, streamlining state regulations, targeting home‑hardening programs to older houses, and automating post‑storm building permits so homeowners can rebuild faster and keep costs down.

Donalds also voiced support for Amendment 3, a property‑tax‑relief measure that would give local governments more flexibility while easing the tax burden on families. He acknowledged concerns from sheriffs about potential budget impacts, but argued that Floridians have seen property taxes double in seven years while family incomes have not kept pace.

Jolly’s catastrophic‑fund proposal

Democrat David Jolly rejected the notion of a $1,000 hurricane tax, calling the claim an attack ad from Donalds. He explained that his plan would eliminate any new tax, instead creating a state sovereign‑wealth fund that removes hurricane and wind risk from the private market.

Jolly said the fund could be seeded with the $10‑$12 billion already sitting in the state’s hurricane reserve, and that future financing could come from taxing insurance‑company profits – a revenue stream he argued Republicans currently allow to leave the state.

According to Jolly, the proposal would cut insurance policies by 60‑70 percent, delivering real relief to homeowners.

Policy context and local reaction

The debate reflects a broader statewide conversation about how to protect families from rising insurance costs after increasingly severe storms. A Florida State University study commissioned in 2025 examined a bipartisan proposal that would require Citizens Insurance to offer wind‑storm coverage to all homeowners. Donalds pointed out that the study’s findings line up closely with his own “one‑size‑fits‑all” approach.

Both candidates fielded questions from Orlando voters at a town‑hall setting. Residents expressed concern over the affordability of premiums, the speed of post‑storm rebuilding, and the impact of any new tax or fee on family budgets.

Election outlook

With less than seven weeks until the November ballot, Donalds said his campaign feels confident, noting a “tighter environment” but emphasizing daily ground work. Jolly, citing internal polling, claimed his team believes they could win if the election were held tonight, and promised a new campaign ad within 48 hours that would focus on housing, healthcare, food, gas and good schools – deliberately avoiding data‑center development.

Both candidates will continue to travel across Central Florida, meeting voters and sharpening their messages as the race tightens.

Original reporting: WESH Orlando — read the source article.