A Florida Republican gubernatorial candidate is facing renewed controversy.
The 31-year-old already made headlines for an alleged inappropriate relationship with a minor.
And a Florida gubernatorial candidate ran out of Tinder likes while hunting for young female voters.
Fishback begged for donations to upgrade his dating app account
James Fishback announced Monday on X that he joined Tinder to "meet young female voters where they are."
The 31-year-old investment firm CEO trailing Trump-backed Byron Donalds by 34 points posted a screenshot of his profile.
"I've joined @Tinder to meet young female voters where they are, and share my plan to make it easier for them to get married, buy a home, and raise a family," Fishback wrote.
https://twitter.com/j_fishback/status/2018446062168805710?s=20
His profile featured the prompt "My hottest take is… Florida should offer paid maternity leave to all moms."
The campaign stunt immediately backfired.
Fishback ran out of likes in under an hour.
Tinder limits how many profiles users can swipe right on each day without a paid subscription.
"i ran out of likes. could someone donate so i can get tinder plus?" Fishback begged on X.
The next day he claimed he hit "2,000 matches" on the app.
https://twitter.com/j_fishback/status/2018453611353899288?s=20
Fishback's campaign plagued by scandal from the start
Fishback jumped into the race to succeed term-limited Governor Ron DeSantis in November with just 3% support among Republican primary voters.
Byron Donalds leads the field with 37% support and jumps to 50% when voters learn about Trump's endorsement.
The Broward County School District cut ties with Fishback's student debate organization in 2022.
A parent sent emails to multiple Florida school districts alleging Fishback had an inappropriate relationship with a 17-year-old girl working for his group.
The woman, Keinah Fort, went to court in January 2025 asking for a protective order against Fishback.
She claimed he "initiated a romantic relationship" with her in spring 2022 when he was 27 and she was 17.
Fort said Fishback "explicitly directed" her to keep the relationship secret.
The pair lived together and were briefly engaged after she turned 18.
Fort alleged Fishback lost his temper and threw things at her during their engagement.
A judge denied her protective order request.
Fishback called the allegations "completely false" and said he's never been arrested or charged with any crime.
https://twitter.com/j_fishback/status/2018883756770074961?s=20
Fishback's campaign defined by racist attacks and extremist rhetoric
The first-time candidate launched a vulgar and racially charged campaign against front-runner Byron Donalds.
Fishback said that Donalds should return money to corporate donors if he "doesn't want to be called a slave."
He later wrote that "By'rone wants to turn Florida into a Section 8 ghetto."
Fishback appeared on Tucker Carlson's podcast in January where Carlson gave him his support.
Days later Fishback suggested former CNN anchor Don Lemon should be "hanged in the public square" for covering an anti-ICE protest at a church.
"A man ransacked a church during Sunday service with BLM and antifa thugs," Fishback said on Jenna Ellis' podcast.
"If our Founding Fathers knew that a bunch of thugs, led by Don Lemon, had ransacked a church on Sunday morning while parishioners were praising our awesome God, they would have likely called for his public execution," Fishback added.
Fishback claims to support banning H-1B visas and abolishing investment firms like BlackRock from buying single-family homes.
He's proposed a "sin tax" on OnlyFans content creators if elected governor.
https://twitter.com/j_fishback/status/2018909594194485401?s=20
"Young women once aspired to be devoted mothers, doctors, lawyers, and nurses," Fishback told Fox News Digital.
"Today, young women are told by an online platform called OnlyFans that it's morally right to sell nude photos of themselves to strangers on the internet," Fishback continued.
"I will not tolerate this cultural degeneracy as Florida's next Republican Governor," Fishback stated.
Using a dating app to campaign shows Fishback has no understanding of how normal people view politicians trolling Tinder for votes.
The man accused of pursuing a 17-year-old employee now wants to match with "young female voters" on a dating platform.
Nobody in Florida Republican politics is taking this campaign seriously except Fishback himself.
Sources:
- Zoe Hussain, "Florida gubernatorial candidate creates Tinder account to 'meet young female voters where they are'," New York Post, February 3, 2026.
- Stephen Sorace, "Florida GOP candidate launches Tinder account to campaign to young female voters," Fox News, February 3, 2026.
- Max Rego, "Florida GOP governor candidate created Tinder account 'to meet young female voters where they are'," The Hill, February 3, 2026.
- Marc Caputo, "Florida school district cut ties with GOP candidate James Fishback in 2022 over sexual misconduct allegations," NBC News, December 30, 2025.
