Candidate · November 3, 2026
Charles Burkett
On the ballot for Governor · Florida
- issues with public statements
- 12
§1On the ballot
Why this matters: This is exactly how the candidate appears on your ballot, from the state's official candidate list.
| Office | Governor · Florida1, |
|---|---|
| Party on the ballot | No Party Affiliation1, |
| Status | Open seat — no incumbent is running for this seat. |
| Also on the ballot |
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§2Who they are
Why this matters: Background and experience help you judge how someone might do the job. These come from public records and the candidate's own materials.
Drafted by AI from the public sources cited. Each sentence links to its source.
Burkett was born and raised in Miami Beach and has lived in Surfside since 1996.5 He earned a bachelor's degree in finance from the University of Miami.5 He has invested in real estate since 1983, expanded into seven other states, and runs a national investment company he owns.5 In Miami Beach he served on several city boards, including nine years as a board member and chairman of the Miami Beach Housing Authority.5 He was elected mayor of Surfside in 2006 and re-elected in 2008, 2020 and 2024.5
Why they say they're running
His campaign website says that, with his service as Surfside's mayor complete, he is running to bring the approach he used there to the whole state.5
Websites and accounts
- Campaign websiteburkettforgov.com5
- Facebookfacebook.com/burkettforgov5
- Instagraminstagram.com/burkettforgov5
- X (Twitter)x.com/burkettforgov5
§3What they've said on the issues
Why this matters: These are positions the candidate has stated publicly — on their campaign website or in public statements — summarized in plain words with a link to where they said it. Issues they haven't spoken about publicly are left out.
Drafted by AI from the public sources cited. Each sentence links to its source.
Each issue has its own range of views. A position is marked on that range only when the candidate's own statement clearly matches one option; there is no overall left–right score.
Taxes and Budget
His campaign website says he would eliminate property taxes on homesteaded primary homes by phasing in larger homestead exemptions for longtime residents, with the benefit able to pass to the homeowner's children.5
- Eliminate property taxes on primary homes
- Cap yearly increases or expand homeowner exemptions
- No new state caps or exemptions; leave property taxes to local governments
His campaign website says he would cut government spending, including school and municipal budgets by at least 5%, and use the savings to lower property taxes.5
- Cut state spending and return the savings through tax cuts or rebates
- Hold spending near current levels
- Spend more on state services such as schools and health care
The positions website his campaign names says income tax rates should be low and apply equally to every taxpayer above the poverty line, with people earning more than $1 million paying a premium on a sliding scale that is never more than 50% above everyone else's rate.6
The positions website his campaign names says the government must balance its budget and honor its commitments, and that deficits and debt matter.6
Education
His campaign website says school spending should be cut by 5% to 10%, with the savings going to property owners.5
- Increase state funding for public schools
- Hold funding near current levels
- Reduce state school funding or slow its growth
The positions website his campaign names says education should be decentralized and returned from the federal bureaucracy to state and local control.6
Energy and Climate
His campaign website says new data centers should be allowed only after local voters approve them in a referendum, and that each must fund new power generation equal to at least 120% of its use and pay more than residential electricity rates.5
Housing
His campaign website says he would repeal Florida's Live Local Act and favors renovating existing housing over new construction to limit crowding and density.5
Health Care
His campaign website proposes 15 standardized health plans that insurers would compete to sell at prices based on risk, and says people with pre-existing conditions would have no traditional insurance option; insurers would instead manage their care, paid for through means-tested state-backed loans or, for those who do not qualify, a state-managed pool. The positions website his campaign names adds that health care must be provided as a safety net for vulnerable Americans who cannot work and for those not of working age.5,
The positions website his campaign names says permanent, life-altering medical decisions that are not life-threatening must wait until a person turns 18.6
Abortion and Reproductive Health
The positions website his campaign names says a woman should have the right to end a pregnancy at any point up to birth, but that doctors would be legally bound to take all reasonable steps to preserve the life of the mother first and then the unborn child, an approach it calls a pro-choice and pro-life hybrid.6
Crime, Policing and Prisons
The positions website his campaign names calls for zero tolerance for crime and high-quality, fully funded policing.6
§4Money
Why this matters: Campaigns report where their money comes from and how much they have left.
Candidates for governor file campaign-finance reports with the state, not the FEC, so this guide doesn't include their fundraising. Search the state's reports: Campaign finance database search — Florida Department of State, Division of Elections.7