2026 in Florida

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Decades:	2000s 2010s 2020s 2030s
See also:	History of Florida Historical outline of Florida List of years in Florida 2026 in the United States

The following is a list of events of the year 2026 in Florida.

This year marks Florida's 181th anniversary as a state in the Union on March 3, 1845, and marks 205 years since Spain ceded Florida to the United States on February 22, 1821. This year also marks the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence of the United States from the British Empire on July 4, 1776.

This year will see a new governor be elected on November 3rd as Ron DeSantis is term-limited.

Incumbents

State Government

• Executive Branch
  • Governor: Ron DeSantis (R)
  • Lieutenant Governor: Jay Collins (R)
  • Attorney General: James Uthmeier (R)
  • Chief Financial Officer: Blaise Ingoglia (R)
  • Commissioner of Agriculture: Wilton Simpson (R)
• Legislative Branch
  • Senate President: Ben Albritton (R)
  • House Speaker: Daniel Perez (R)
• Judicial Branch
  • Chief Justice: Carlos Muñiz

Chairs of Major Political Parties

• Republican Party of Florida: Evan Power (R)
• Florida Democratic Party: Nikki Fried (D)

Events

January

• January 7 – Governor DeSantis calls for a special legislative session on congressional redistricting, ahead of the 2026 United States midterm elections. ^[1]
• January 12 – Lieutenant Governor Collins declares his candidacy for the Republican nomination in the 2026 Florida gubernatorial election. ^[2]
• January 13
  • The 2026 regular session of the Florida Legislature begins. ^[3] Governor DeSantis delivers his final State of the State Address, reflecting on his governorship. ^[4]
  • Neal Dunn, a Republican, announces that he will not seek re-election as U.S. House Representative from Florida's 2nd congressional district. ^[5]
• January 14 – Governor DeSantis appoints Adam Tanenbaum, a judge from the Florida First District Court of Appeal, as the 94th Justice of the Supreme Court of Florida, succeeding Charles Canady. ^[6]
• January 15
  • The Supreme Court of Florida amends eligibility rules for Florida Bar admission to remove the American Bar Association as the sole law school accreditor. Jorge Labarga dissents. ^[7]
  • The University of Miami hires former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson as a guest lecturer in political science. ^[8]
• January 16 – A 4-mile stretch of Southern Boulevard between Palm Beach International Airport and Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach County is renamed President Donald J. Trump Boulevard. ^[9]
• January 17 – Multiple far-right and manosphere influencers appear at a Miami Beach nightclub, including Nick Fuentes, Andrew Tate, Braden Peters (known online as Clavicular), Nicolas Kenn De Balinthazy (known online as Sneako), and Myron Gaines. Videos surfaced of the influencers dancing to Kanye West's antisemitic song Heil Hitler and making Nazi salutes. Miami Beach mayor Steven Meiner condemned the actions of the influencers and launched an investigation into the incident. ^[10]
• January 19
  • The 2026 College Football Playoff National Championship is played at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida between the Indiana Hoosiers and Miami Hurricanes. The Hoosiers beat the Hurricanes 27–21 to claim Indiana's first ever title. ^[11]
  • Attorney General Uthmeier issues an opinion that race-based laws, including affirmative action, are presumptively unconstitutional and his office will not enforce them. ^[12]
• January 23
  • Governor DeSantis and German Ambassador Jens Hanefeld sign a Joint Declaration of Intent between the State of Florida and the Federal Republic of Germany. As of 2024, Germany is Florida’s seventh largest trading partner. ^[13]
  • Lawyer Keith Gross files a complaint with the Federal Election Commission accusing Florida GOP Chair Power of misusing the resources of the Florida Republican Party in his congressional campaign to succeed Neal Dunn. ^[14]
• January 25 – Florida Senate President Albritton is hospitalized for chest pains, where physicians discovered a small blood clot in his lung. Albritton is discharged from the hospital three days later and intends to finish the regular legislative session. ^[15]
• January 27
  • Vern Buchanan, a Republican, announces that he will not seek re-election as U.S. House Representative from Florida's 16th congressional district. ^[16]
  • The AIDS Healthcare Foundation files a complaint at the Florida Division of Administrative Hearings over the Florida Department of Health changing the eligibility requirements for the state's AIDS Drug Assistance Program in an effort to cut $120 million in state expenses. ^[17]
• January 28 – A Boca Raton nurse's nursing license is suspended as a result of a TikTok video wishing harm on White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. ^[18]
• January 29 – A Miami nurse relinquishes his nursing license following Facebook posts saying he would refuse anesthesia to MAGA patients. ^[19]

February

• February 1 – The Florida Department of State announces that all 22 citizen initiatives for constitutional amendments have been disqualified for the 2026 Florida general election ballot, following the implementation of HB 1205 (signed May 2, 2025) which imposes stricter requirements for the citizen-led ballot initiative process. ^[20]
• February 3 – Education Commissioner Anastasios Kamoutsas warns that students who participate in protests during the school day, particularly in protests against ICE, could face discipline. ^[21]
• February 4
  • Ryan Wesley Routh, the man who attempted to assassinate President Trump while he was golfing at his club in West Palm Beach in 2024, is sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. ^[22]
  • James Fishback meets with students at the University of Central Florida for his Republican gubernatorial campaign. Fishback makes several antisemitic statements including using the term "goyslop" while criticizing school food and mocking politicians who pay respect to the Western Wall. Fishback's comments have drawn condemnation. ^{[23] [24] [25]}
• February 6 – The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles begins administering all driver's license knowledge and skills exams in English only. ^[26]
• February 9
  • Governor DeSantis declares a state of emergency due to severe weather conditions: a historic cold snap at the beginning of the month, wildfires, and a drought that affects 99% of the state. ^[27]
  • Chief Financial Officer Ingoglia announces that six state employees were arrested for filing bogus property damage claims through the Florida Department of Financial Services' Division of Risk Management. The fraudulent claims amounted to about $1.7 million. ^[28]
• February 10
  • Ronald Palmer Heath, a man convicted for murder of a traveling salesman during a Gainesville robbery in 1990, is executed via lethal injection at Florida State Prison; Florida's first execution of the year. Governor DeSantis signed the death warrant on January 9, 2026. ^{[29] [30]}
  • 51-year old Russel Kot kills seven people, including himself, in a series of shootings in Fort Lauderdale and Sarasota. Kot kills his former romantic partner and her son in the Victoria Park neighborhood of Fort Lauderdale, and proceeds to kill his former romantic partner's brother, family friend, and parents in the Amberlea neighborhood near Sarasota. Kot's motive is unknown. ^{[31] [32]}
• February 14 – The University of Florida hires Attorney General Uthmeier as a part-time adjunct faculty member and adviser at the Levin College of Law, teaching a seminar on constitutional law. ^[33] In response to criticism over holding two state-funded jobs simultaneously, Uthmeier says he needs the second job to support his growing family. ^[34]
• February 15 – Tyler Reddick wins the 2026 Daytona 500. It is Reddick's first Daytona 500 win as a NASCAR driver and Michael Jordan's first win as an owner. ^[35]
• February 17
  • The U.S. Department of Justice files a denaturalization case against former North Miami Mayor Philippe Bien-Aime, a naturalized citizen originally from Haiti. The DOJ claims Bien-Aime entered the United States in 1997 under the name Jean Philippe Janvier, then remained in the country under the Bien-Aime name after fraudulently claiming he had returned to Haiti, following a 2000 removal order. ^[36]
  • Palantir, a data company founded by Peter Thiel, announces they are moving their headquarters from Denver to Miami. ^[37]
• February 19 – The Florida Legislature passes SB 706 along party lines to give the state, rather than local governments, the power to name major commercial service airports. The bill includes renaming Palm Beach International Airport to “Donald J. Trump International Airport," but the name change is subject to the Federal Aviation Administration. ^[38]
• February 20 – Fishback attempts to confront his Republican gubernatorial rival and frontrunner Byron Donalds at a campaign event in Florida Gulf Coast University, and is removed by security. ^[39] Fishback has made racist statements towards Donalds, an African-American, throughout the gubernatorial campaign, drawing condemnation. ^{[40] [41]}
• February 22 – Secret Service agents fatally shoot 21-year old Austin Tucker Martin of North Carolina, who attempted to enter Mar-a-Lago while holding a shotgun and gas canister. President Trump is not present at Mar-a-Lago when the shooting occurs. Martin’s motive is unknown. ^[42]
• February 24 – Melvin Trotter, a man convicted for murder of a Manatee County grocery-store owner in 1986, is executed via lethal injection at Florida State Prison; Florida's second execution of the year. Governor DeSantis signed the death warrant on January 23, 2026. ^{[43] [44]}
• February 25 – A stolen boat containing ten passengers, all Cubans and Cuban Americans, departs from the Florida Keys towards Cuba. When the boat nears Cuba, the passengers reportedly exchange gunfire with the Cuban coast guard, resulting in four of the passengers being killed and six injured. ^[45]

March

• March 3 – Billy Leon Kearse, a man convicted of killing a Fort Pierce police officer during a traffic stop in 1991, is executed via lethal injection at Florida State Prison; Florida's third execution of the year. Governor DeSantis signed the death warrant on January 29, 2026. ^{[46] [47]}
• March 4
  • The Florida Legislature passes HB 33 along party lines to rename a 1-mile stretch of road alongside Florida International University as “Charlie Kirk Memorial Avenue.” ^[48]
  • The secretary of the Miami-Dade County Republican Party is revealed to have started a group chat with Florida International University student conservative leaders which contained multiple instances of racism towards blacks and antisemitism. ^[49]
• March 5–17 – The 2026 World Baseball Classic is held at several locations, including LoanDepot Park in Miami. ^[50]

Scheduled events

• April 20–April 24 – Special legislative session of the Florida Legislature on congressional redistricting. ^[51]
• August 18 – Democratic and Republican primaries for the 2026 Florida gubernatorial election and 2026 United States Senate special election in Florida. ^[52]
• November 3 –
  • 2026 Florida gubernatorial election ^[53]
  • 2026 Florida Attorney General election
  • 2026 Florida Chief Financial Officer election
  • 2026 Florida Commissioner of Agriculture election
  • 2026 Florida Senate election
  • 2026 United States House of Representatives elections in Florida
  • 2026 United States Senate special election in Florida
• October – Jury trial scheduled for Phoenix Ikner, the suspect in the 2025 Florida State University shooting. ^[54]

Unknown dates

• The 2026 G20 Miami summit will be held at Trump National Doral Miami in Doral, Florida. ^[55]

See also

• 2026 in the United States

References

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2. Gancarski, A.G. (January 12, 2026). "Jay Collins declares for Governor". Florida Politics.
3. Teman, Sasha (January 12, 2026). "Florida legislative session kicks off Tuesday". Spectrum News 13.
4. Perry, Mitch (January 13, 2026). "In his last State-of-the-State address, DeSantis vows: 'We will get the job done.'". Florida Pheonix.
5. Svirnovskiy, Gregory (January 13, 2026). "Florida Rep. Neal Dunn to retire". Politico.
6. Jones, Samadhi (January 14, 2026). "Tanenbaum Joins the Supreme Court". Florida Bar News.
7. Jones, Samadhi (January 16, 2026). "Court opens door to new law school accreditors for Bar admission". Florida Bar News.
8. Grylls, George (January 21, 2026). "Boris Johnson is teaching at US universities. Students can't get enough". The Times.
9. Fins, Antonio (January 16, 2025). "Southern Boulevard named for Trump. Is Palm Beach International next?". The Palm Beach Post.
10. Salzbank, Lena (January 19, 2026). "Miami Beach nightclub faces backlash after playing antisemitic anthem". NBC 6 South Florida.
11. Russo, Ralph (January 19, 2026). "Indiana completes one of the most astonishing turnarounds in all sports with first national title". The New York Times.
12. Dixon, Drew (January 19, 2026). "James Uthmeier: Florida's affirmative action laws are unconstitutional". Florida Politics.
13. Gancarski, A.G. (January 24, 2026). "'Team Freedom': Gov. DeSantis tightens Florida's ties with Germany". Florida Politics.
14. Ogles, Jacob (January 23, 2026). "Keith Gross accuses Evan Power of abusing Florida GOP resources to boost congressional bid". Florida Politics.
15. Rosica, Jim (January 28, 2026). "Florida Senate president Albritton discharged from hospital". Naples Daily News.
16. Scorsch, Peter (January 27, 2026). "Vern Buchanan to retire from Congress after 20 years of distinguished service". Florida Politics.
17. Sexton, Christine (January 28, 2026). "DeSantis administration sued over changes to AIDS insurance and drugs program". Florida Phoenix.
18. Shields, Malcolm (January 28, 2026). "Florida bans nurse from practicing after disturbing social media comments about White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt". WPBF 25 News.
19. Shepard, Skyler (January 30, 2026). "Second FL nurse loses RN status after posts saying he'd refuse anesthesia to MAGA patients". WPEC CBS 12.
20. Turner, Jim (February 3, 2026). "Florida declares end to all 2026 ballot initiative petition drives as new law takes effect". Jacksonville Business Journal.
21. Harrell, Gershon (February 3, 2026). "Florida DOE warns against student protests, educator involvement". CBS12 News.
22. Mazzei, Patricia; Adams, David (February 4, 2026). "Man Convicted of Trying to Assassinate Trump Gets Life Sentence". The New York Times.
23. Howard, Phillip (February 5, 2026). "Florida governor candidate James Fishback makes appearance at UCF". The Charge.
24. Feldman, Joseph (February 6, 2026). "Terrell Condemns Florida Gubernatorial Candidate's Western Wall Comment". VIN News.
25. Costeines, Michael (February 18, 2026). "Jay Collins Slams James Fishback for 'Disgraceful' Antisemitism". The Floridian.
26. Coultoff, Alexa (January 30, 2026). "Florida to give driver's license exams only in English, DMV says". Tampa Bay Times.
27. Atienza, Julian (February 13, 2026). "Florida fire danger spikes as 'Extreme Drought' reaches 25-year high, as state of emergency declared". FOX Weather.
28. Dixon, Drew (February 9, 2026). "Blaise Ingoglia: Half a dozen state employees busted in fraud scheme". Florida Politics.
29. Spitzer, Michelle (January 12, 2026). "Florida's first execution of 2026 is in February. Here's the details". Florida Today.
30. Fischer, David (February 10, 2026). "Man convicted of killing a traveling salesman becomes first person executed in Florida this year". Associated Press.
31. Scouten, Ted; Dodge, Abby; Soler, Ana Maria (February 11, 2026). "6 people killed in Sarasota and Fort Lauderdale; police say the murders are connected and a suspect also dead". CBS News. Retrieved February 12, 2026.
32. Gholar, Samantha (February 13, 2026). "Amberlea mass shooting deadliest crime day in Sarasota County history". Herald-Tribune.
33. Shanley, Garret (February 17, 2026). "Florida's attorney general gets $100K part-time teaching job at UF". Tampa Bay Times.
34. Gancarski, A.G. (February 19, 2026). "'Public servant' James Uthmeier says he needs 6-figure adjunct teaching gig to support 'growing family'". Florida Politics.
35. Ostley, Ayrton (February 15, 2026). "Michael Jordan celebrates first Daytona 500 championship as NASCAR owner". USA Today. Retrieved February 16, 2026.
36. Vela, Hatzel; Acevedo, Nicole; Angulo, Erika (February 20, 2026). "DOJ seeks to revoke U.S. citizenship of former North Miami mayor". NBC News. Retrieved February 22, 2026.
37. Subin, Samantha (February 17, 2026). "Palantir moving its headquarters from Denver to Miami". CNBC.
38. Atterbury, Andrew (February 19, 2026). "Now boarding: Florida Legislature approves renaming Palm Beach airport after Trump". Politico. Retrieved February 19, 2026.
39. Elias, Dave (February 20, 2026). "Political drama erupts at FGCU between gubernatorial candidates". Gulf Coast News.
40. Gancarski, A.G. (December 27, 2025). "James Fishback argues Byron Donalds shouldn't be offended by 'slave' slur, calls him a 'tether'". Florida Politics.
41. Ogles, David (January 12, 2026). "David Jolly calls out James Fishback for 'racist' rhetoric against Byron Donalds". Florida Politics.
42. "Man shot and killed after "unauthorized entry" into Mar-a-Lago perimeter, Secret Service says". CBS News . February 22, 2026. Retrieved February 22, 2026.
43. Saunders, Jim (January 23, 2026). "DeSantis signs death warrant for man convicted in 1986 murder of Manatee grocery-store owner". WUSF.
44. Ryan, Alexa (February 24, 2026). "Florida man executed for 1986 Palmetto murder". The Independent Florida Alligator.
45. Goodman, Joshua; Salomon, Gisela; Catalini, Mike (February 28, 2026). "Deaths on a boat off Cuba spotlight Florida anti-government groups". The Associated Press. Retrieved February 28, 2026.
46. Khalyleh, Hana; Greenlee, Will (January 31, 2026). "Florida cop killer's death warrant signed by DeSantis. What to know". USA Today.
47. Ryan, Alexa (March 4, 2026). "Florida executes man for 1991 murder of Fort Pierce police officer". The Independent Florida Alligator.
48. Scheckner, Jesse (March 4, 2026). "Legislature approves 'Charlie Kirk Memorial Avenue' at FIU in Miami-Dade County". Florida Politics.
49. Manjarres, Javier (March 4, 2026). "Miami GOP Secretary's Group Chat Pushes Antisemitism, 'Killing N-ggers'". The Floridian.
50. Reineking, Jim (March 5, 2026). "World Baseball Classic 2026 host stadiums and cities for every game". USA Today. Retrieved March 6, 2026.
51. "Governor Ron DeSantis Announces Special Legislative Session on Congressional Redistricting". Executive Office of the Governor. January 7, 2026.
52. "2026 State Primary Election Dates". NCSL. May 9, 2025.
53. McCloud, Cheryl (3 September 2025). "Race for next Florida governor hits 27 candidates. See list of those seeking to replace DeSantis" . Retrieved 10 October 2025.
54. Christensen, Caroline (October 1, 2025). "Trial delayed until Oct. 2026 for man charged with FSU shooting". WCTV.
55. Jacobs, Jennifer; O'Keefe, Ed; Brown, Kristen (September 5, 2025). "Trump announces plans to host 2026 G20 summit at his Doral resort". CBS News.