ORLANDO, Fla. – Lt. Governor Jay Collins is running for Florida Governor, hoping to succeed term-limited Gov. Ron DeSantis. The primary election is Aug. 18, and the general election is Nov. 3.
You can watch his one-on-one interview with Morning Anchor Lauren Melendez above. It’s organized by topic, and you can read his summarized thoughts on each issue below.
Thoughts on Gov. DeSantis’ homestead tax cut plan
Collins said he supports giving Floridians the opportunity to keep more of their money and expressed broad support for the property tax relief measure that passed through the legislature — though not without reservations.
“I think there’s a couple of areas I’m disappointed aren’t in the bill that passed through the legislature,” Collins said. “You wanted to see that trust fund at the back end. You wanted to see that there as a tool for our fiscally-constrained counties. I think it would have been a stronger bill otherwise.”
Collins also said he would have preferred more specific protections for fire, law enforcement, roads and education funding. Still, he called the measure a landmark shift.
“This will be the most substantive shift in improvement for individual rights, individual dollars and property tax relief in quite some time in our state,” he said.
The measure will go before voters and requires 60% approval to pass. Collins said he believes Florida can ultimately eliminate both income and property taxes on homesteaded property.
“I believe it’s possible in a state like Florida to have no income tax and no property tax under homesteaded property,” he said. “So this graduated approach from 150 to 250 to wherever beyond that — is very doable.”
Concerns over county solvency
When asked whether the property tax changes could bankrupt counties that rely heavily on homestead tax revenue, Collins pointed to what he described as significant room in the current tax structure.
“From 2019 to now you’ve seen 31 billion to 61 billion dollars in property tax,” he said. “We know that less than 30 percent of the state’s property tax dollars overall come from homesteaded property. That tells me there’s plenty of room available.”
Collins also cited findings from the Department of Government Efficiency — commonly referred to as DOGE — and what he called the Federal Agency Funding Accountability effort, or FAFA, as evidence that government spending can be trimmed.
“During DOGE and FAFA we’ve seen over three billion dollars in annualized waste from the cities and counties,” Collins said. “That means that there’s meat on the bone.”
He added that the next governor will need to support fiscally constrained counties through a grant system during the transition period.
“It’s a requirement, honestly, to put that there and help roll through that in the short term while they reestablish the tax rolls and while they recalculate everything,” he said.
Addressing Florida’s affordability crisis
Collins said Florida’s affordability crisis demands more than incremental change — and that it starts with redefining expectations.
“We can’t ever allow the American Dream to be shifted to just getting by,” he said. “That’s not acceptable.”
His approach includes aligning the education system more closely with workforce needs, expanding access to the trades and cutting red tape through deregulation.
“I think it means deregulation, where possible,” Collins said. “And I think more than that, it comes down to accountability when it comes to insurance costs, when it comes to property tax, making sure that we’re good stewards of people’s money.”
Home insurance reform
Collins said home insurance costs are among the most pressing concerns for Floridians and outlined several proposals to drive rates down. He said fraud remains the single biggest obstacle to meaningful relief.
“If we want to see a meaningful drop in our rates on the ground, we have to cut the amount of fraud cases even after all of our laws,” he said. “That’s the number one thing.”
Collins also called for greater transparency from insurance providers, including publicly accessible dashboards that track claims after hurricanes — color-coded for clarity.
“Give them a red, amber, green transparency coding so people can see clearly what’s going on,” he said. “When the court of public opinion sees that perhaps somebody isn’t moving fast enough or there’s an issue with a certain provider, they’re gonna call.”
He also targeted the permitting process as a major driver of inflated home costs, calling for a “shot clock” on permitting timelines and full digitization of the process.
“Permitting is adding anywhere from 10 to 30% in some cases even a bit more onto home builds,” Collins said.
He pointed to the My Safe Florida Home program as another tool to bring insurance rates down by making homes more resilient to natural disasters.
“That will make a heck of a difference in dropping those rates because it brings the homes up to a more resilient standard,” he said.
What sets Collins apart from other GOP Gubernatorial candidates?
Collins said his experience leading the state alongside Gov. Ron DeSantis is what distinguishes him from the rest of the Republican field.
“I’m the only person handpicked by our current Governor Ron DeSantis to be his Lieutenant Governor,” Collins said. “I don’t have to talk about what I want to do in leading the state. I am leading the state.”
He cited Florida’s ranking as No. 1 in new business growth and higher education, and said his personal story speaks to the kind of leadership he would bring to the governor’s office.
“I’m a farm kid. I grew up on a farm. I grew up dirt poor, on food stamps, on welfare,” Collins said. “And the fact that I’m here is a manifestation of the American dream.”
Collins also pushed back on what he sees as a culture of performance over substance in modern politics.
“Somewhere along the line, we have decided that leadership is really talking about things on Twitter,” he said. “That’s not leadership.”
Immigration, Alligator Alcatraz
Collins defended Florida’s collaboration with federal immigration enforcement and said the partnership between ICE, Border Patrol and state and local governments is the strongest it has been in decades.
“That fusion approach is exactly what you want to see,” he said. “We see more collaboration now than I have in really call it 30 years around government.”
On the subject of Alligator Alcatraz — the controversial detention facility that drew national attention and public criticism — Collins said it served its intended purpose as a temporary solution.
“Alligator Alcatraz was always designed to be a flex option, a temporary solution,” he said.
When asked about the pending federal reimbursement for the facility that has yet to materialize, Collins said the outcome doesn’t change his view of the decision.
“Whether we get reimbursed or we don’t, I believe having Alligator Alcatraz was the right step in terms of creating an opportunity and creating movement for what was a number one issue for the American people,” he said.
Election integrity lawsuit against James Fishback
Collins briefly addressed the lawsuit he has filed against fellow gubernatorial candidate James Fishback, challenging Fishback’s residency qualifications.
“Election integrity is the fundamental piece and cog of our nation,” Collins said. “If we don’t have faith in the people who are on the docket, so to speak, who are out there to be our elected leaders, then we don’t have anything.”
Collins encouraged voters to look up the publicly available filing for themselves.
Voters can learn more about Collins at jayforflorida.com and follow him on social media at @jcollinsfl on X, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.