James Thomas Fishback (born January 1, 1995) is an American investor, hedge fund manager, and political candidate. He is a candidate for the Republican nomination in the 2026 Florida gubernatorial election.
Fishback previously worked for hedge fund Greenlight Capital until 2023, when he resigned ahead of a planned termination for low productivity.[1] He founded Azoria Partners, an investment management firm that later launched an ETF before it was shut down by the company's independent trustees over legal concerns.[2] In August 2025, Fishback launched a personal campaign to get President Donald Trump to name him to the Federal Reserve Board of Governors seat vacated by Adriana Kugler. He was never considered, and Trump named Stephen Miran to the position in September.[3] In November 2025, Fishback launched a campaign for the Republican nomination for Florida governor. He shifted his political positions to run a campaign as an economic populist with racist undertones. He has been described as the first "Groyper" political candidate.[4][5]
Fishback has been involved in various legal disputes. In 2022, the Broward County School District cut ties with him and a debate league he ran following allegations he had an inappropriate romantic relationship with a 17-year-old girl. Fishback denied the allegations and threatened to sue the parents who made them, but later moved in with and got engaged to her after she turned 18.[6][7] In 2023, Fishback initiated a dispute with his former employer, Greenlight Capital, regarding his job title; the dispute culminated in Fishback's 2025 admission that he had illicitly shared and used confidential Greenlight information.[8] Fishback was ordered to pay back Greenlight's legal fees, but has been unable to do so.[9][10]
Early life
James Fishback was born on January 1, 1995, in Davie, Florida.[11][12] His mother is an immigrant from Colombia, and his father owned a landscaping business before becoming a bus driver. Fishback attributes the failure of his father's business to the arrival of Haitian migrants under temporary protected status following the 2010 earthquake.[13] He attended public schools in Broward County, and participated in his high school's debate team.[14][15][16] Fishback enrolled at Georgetown University to study international economics, but left at age 21 without graduating to pursue a career in finance.[17]
Business career
In 2019, Fishback founded Incubate Debate, a debate league that provides tournaments and training for middle and high school students.[18][19] Fishback stated that he formed Incubate Debate due to frustration with ideological biases held by National Speech and Debate Association judges.[14] Incubate Debate was acquired by the Bill of Rights Institute in 2024,[20] but control of the organization later reverted to Fishback, who stated that the acquisition was "dissolved".[7]
Fishback joined the hedge fund Greenlight Capital in 2021.[21] Fishback was employed by Greenlight Capital as a research analyst until 2023; Greenlight stated Fishback resigned ahead of a planned termination for low productivity.[1] Fishback claimed that he resigned after being subjected to anti-Christian discrimination.[9]
In 2023, Fishback founded Azoria Partners, an investment management firm focused on global macro strategies.[22] In June 2025, Azoria launched the Azoria 500 Meritocracy ETF, which tracks the S&P 500 but excludes companies with diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies.[16][23][24] The Meritocracy ETF, along with another ETF run by Fishback, was shut down in October by Azoria's independent trustees. The board stated that it made the decision after considering factors including "recent litigation involving a principal of" Azoria. Fishback alleged that the liquidations were motivated by anti-conservative bias.[25]
In February 2025, Fishback proposed the "DOGE Dividend", a plan to return 20% of savings from the federal Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) directly to taxpayers.[26] He did a media tour where he claimed he worked for DOGE until the summer of 2025, but senior DOGE officials from before, during and after the period say Fishback never held any official or informal role with the group and that he was fabricating his association with them.[27] After Fishback claimed to have been a DOGE advisor in a post on the social media platform X, a spokesperson for DOGE head Elon Musk responded saying it wasn't true.[28]
In July 2025, Azoria unsuccessfully sued to make the Federal Open Market Committee's July 29 meeting public. In August 2025, Fishback contacted President Donald Trump and several of his advisors in an attempt to secure the seat on the Federal Reserve Board of Governors vacated by Adriana Kugler. He visited the Federal Reserve's market symposium in Jackson Hole on August 22, where he repeatedly yelled at member Lisa Cook. After a Florida-based social media account posted an unattributed claim on X that Fishback was being considered for the seat, speculation sparked online and on cable news networks that he was a serious contender. However, the Trump administration concluded that Fishback had fabricated the entire news cycle, he was never under consideration, and Trump instead named Stephen Miran to the position in September.[29][8]
2026 Florida gubernatorial campaign
On November 24, 2025, Fishback announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination in the 2026 Florida gubernatorial election.[30] Fishback is challenging frontrunner Byron Donalds, a U.S. representative endorsed by Donald Trump. In his announcement video, Fishback criticized Donalds' record in Congress, and later attacked Donalds for his ties to "corporate interests", calling him a "slave to his donors".[21][1][31][30]
Fishback has been described as a strong supporter of Florida governor Ron DeSantis, and has praised his "historical record" while in office.[32][33] During his campaign, Fishback defended supporters of far-right political commentator Nick Fuentes, saying, "I've found the audience of young men who follow and watch Nick Fuentes to be actually incredibly informed and insightful and very patriotic."[34] Some commentators, including writers for The Nation,[35] have described Fishback as a "groyper",[15][36] an association he has both disputed and embraced.[15][37][38]
On January 9, 2026, Fishback appeared on Tucker Carlson's podcast, where Carlson lent Fishback his support.[4] On January 12, he made a post labeling Donalds "By'rone" and accusing him of wanting to "turn Florida into a Section 8 ghetto". The remark attracted media coverage and was criticized as racist by other political candidates.[39][40]
On January 30, 2026, after journalist Don Lemon was arrested for covering an anti-ICE protest inside a Saint Paul church, Fishback wrote that "Don Lemon is lucky he's not getting hanged in the public square for ransacking a church."[41]
Fishback has emphasized affordability in his gubernatorial campaign, highlighting rising living costs in Florida and prioritizing housing affordability.[44] He has proposed increasing competition and confronting insurers. On homelessness, Fishback has proposed using state resources, including the Florida National Guard, to remove homeless encampments and relocate individuals into facilities where he says they would receive treatment and services.[45][46] Fishback supports eliminating property taxes on homestead properties.[47][45] Fishback supports banning investment firms, such as BlackRock, from purchasing single-family homes.[15] He additionally supports levying a $50,000 tax on out-of-state buyers trying to purchase a home in Florida.[48] Fishback stated that his focus on affordability has been inspired by the campaign of New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani, although he disagrees with Mamdani's proposed solutions to the affordability crisis.[34][15] He supports paid maternity leave.[48]
Education
Fishback supports raising the pay of public school teachers by 25%.[43] He supports requiring school uniforms in Florida's public schools, while providing families with a $250 per child stipend to purchase them.[48] He hopes to end the presence of international students at Florida public universities by instituting $1 million tuition fees for foreign students.[49]
Environment
Fishback opposes the construction of AI data centers in Florida, arguing they would increase energy costs.[50] Fishback holds conservationist views on the environment, and has pledged to preserve more park space.[43] Fishback has stated that he supports further restoration of the Everglades, conserving state parks, and cleaning waterways.[51]
Fishback expressed support for Operation Absolute Resolve, stating “I support President Trump's decision last night and am grateful to the special operators who successfully executed on his orders… I trust that President Trump understands that U.S. troops do not need to be deployed to Venezuela and that nation building should not be attempted.”[56]
Immigration
Fishback has campaigned to abolish the H-1B visa program and pledged to fire state government employees working under it.[57][58][31] Fishback is against immigration to the United States and has stated that he supports a "complete immigration moratorium".[46]
Fishback has described himself as a "free speech absolutist", while praising Martin Luther King Jr.[36] He supports the Second Amendment, and has called gun waiting periods "unconstitutional".[60] Fishback supports a complete ban on abortion, including in cases of rape and incest.[61] Fishback has voiced support for a sin tax on OnlyFans creators.[62] He expresses belief in the white genocide and Great Replacement conspiracy theories.[15][13][4] Fishback advocates against junk food in school cafeterias, calling it "goyslop", an antisemitic term used to claim that Jews control the fast food industry with the purpose of making non-Jews unhealthy.[63] Fishback opposes the Patriot Act, and has criticized Palantir but supported it in the past.[64][65]
Legal issues
Sexual misconduct allegation
In 2022, the Broward County School District cut ties with Fishback and his organization, Incubate Debate, following allegations that he had an inappropriate romantic relationship with a 17-year-old girl employed by Incubate Debate, Keinah Fort. Fishback was 27 at the time. The allegations led to the resignation of an Incubate Debate board member. Fishback threatened the parents who made the allegation with legal action.[66]
Fishback and Fort moved in together in spring 2023, after she turned 18, and were briefly engaged in 2024 before publicly breaking up. Fishback has denied any inappropriate contact prior to Fort's reaching the age of consent, a denial which Fort disputes. A judge rejected Fort's January 2025 request for a restraining order against Fishback for alleged harassment after the relationship's end, due to a lack of evidence. Fishback has denied wrongdoing and stated that he has never been arrested, charged with, or convicted of a crime.[67][7][68]
Job title dispute
In October 2023, Fishback sued Greenlight Capital over a dispute regarding his job title.[69] In his lawsuit, he claimed to have held a senior macro role, specifically as "head of macro", his second promotion in two-and-a-half years after starting as a research analyst and trader.[33] Greenlight Capital denied these claims, stating that the position of "head of macro" never existed.[70][1] Businessman Martin Shkreli has come to Fishback's defense, highlighting a corporate conference brochure which referred to Fishback as the "Head of Macro".[71]
In June 2024, Greenlight Capital countersued Fishback, alleging misrepresentation of his role, breach of his employment agreement, and defamation.[1] In September 2025, Fishback admitted to sharing confidential Greenlight positions and strategies via his personal email and operating an undisclosed trading account, violating his employment agreement. As part of the settlement, he agreed to delete or return all Greenlight materials in his possession and pay the firm's legal expenses.[8] Fishback claimed to be unable to pay back Greenlight's legal expenses, and, as a result, had his Tesla Model Yrepossessed in September 2025.[72]
In January 2026, a federal magistrate judge ordered Fishback to surrender Azoria stock and a group of luxury items he purchased through an undisclosed bank account to the US Marshals for sale to Greenlight.[73]
Personal life
Fishback resides in Madison, Florida.[18] As late as August 2025, he claimed a homestead exemption in Washington, DC, thus identifying DC as his primary domicile.[74] He is Catholic, and speaks English and Spanish.[75][76]
Arson claim
On February 8, 2026, Fishback stated on X that a fire in the front yard of his Madison County home had been intentionally set and described the incident as "political violence".[77] He said the fire came within approximately 10 feet of his house.[78] The fire was quickly contained by Madison County Fire Rescue and did not damage the structure.[78]
According to WFLA News Channel 8, as of February 9 local law enforcement had not launched an arson investigation.[79] Officials from the Madison County Sheriff's Office and Madison County Fire Rescue stated there was no active criminal probe and did not classify the fire as arson.[79]
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