Republican gubernatorial candidate Byron Donalds said he would respect local bans on data centers if elected governor in November.

Multiple Florida counties and cities have enacted bans or moratoria on data center construction. Walton County prohibits facilities over 50 megawatts, while Escambia, Jackson, Indian River, Vero Beach, Wakulla and others have imposed restrictions or pauses.

Donalds told Coastal Conservative News that local governments should manage permitting and that he would share information with the public about the facilities. He said the discussion is dominated by social media discourse and lacks detailed mitigation information.

The candidate has promoted data center development, receiving millions of dollars in donations from the Leading the Future super PAC, founded by OpenAI co‑founder Greg Brockman, venture capitalist Joe Lonsdale and Andreessen Horowitz. The group has committed $5 million to Donalds and an educational campaign on AI’s economic benefits.

Donalds has advocated for small modular nuclear reactors and closed‑loop water filtration in data center projects, arguing that Florida should host the facilities rather than other states or foreign nations. He added that there are no upcoming bans.

Democrat David Jolly, the opposing candidate, supports a moratorium on data centers and has made the issue a central part of his campaign. Donalds has characterized opponents as seeking to revert to policies of the early 1970s, though he has qualified his support amid public skepticism.

The outcome of the election will determine whether the state’s data center policy direction changes.