The Tallahassee swamp is rearing its ugly head again, and this time, former House Speaker Paul Renner is throwing his hat into the 2026 Florida Governor’s race in a primary that includes U.S. Rep Byron Donalds and Lt. Gov. Jay Collins.
However, pro-gun Floridians should know the truth about the former Speaker of the House’s anti-gun legacy.
A Failing Legacy on Gun Rights
In 2018, after the tragic Parkland shooting, Paul Renner, then a state representative, stabbed Florida’s gun owners in the back by voting for the state’s most disastrous gun control bill.
This wasn’t just a misstep; it was a full-on assault on Floridians’ constitutional rights.
The bill unleashed unconstitutional, due-process-shredding “Red Flag” gun-confiscation laws, banned purchases under the age of 21, and imposed waiting periods
It was so extreme that it’s now facing federal court challenges and possible Supreme Court intervention. Something rarely seen in other deep red states across the country.
This wasn’t a mistake by Renner; it was siding with Gun Control, Inc. over the people he swore to represent.
Renner’s Failing Legacy Continues
Fast forward to 2023, Florida passed Constitutional Carry, but Renner turned a victory into a betrayal by refusing to fight for Open Carry, a right in 28 of 29 Constitutional Carry states at the time.
Which means Florida remained the only Constitutional Carry state without Open Carry until the recent court ruling overturning the ban.
All because Renner refused to stand for the Second Amendment.
In his own words, Open Carry was too “controversial” and would waste precious floor and committee time. A timeless excuse from politicians who do not stand for the Constitution.
Renner didn’t just drop the ball. He shielded his colleagues in the Tallahassee swamp from taking a stand on a “tough vote,” or more accurately, defending the Second Amendment.
His actions expose the deep rot in Tallahassee, where career politicians like him and potential future Senate President Jim Boyd dodge the pro-gun fights we elected them to wage.
Florida Gun Rights has already sounded the alarm on Boyd’s pathetic gun record, and Renner’s history is cut from the same anti-gun cloth.
When tragedy hit Parkland, and Florida needed strong leadership, Jim Boyd worked with radical gun-grabbing Democrats to bus in Gun Control Inc. protestors.
As a result, Senator Boyd was the driving factor behind the largest gun control law in Florida’s history.
This bill imposed “Red Flag” Gun Confiscation laws, created waiting periods, and banned 18-20 year olds from purchasing a firearm.
Just like Senator Boyd, when tragedy struck, Renner too voted to strip millions of Floridians of their gun rights.
Defending Second Amendment Rights is Not “Controversial”
We elect representatives to storm into Tallahassee and defend our freedoms, not cower before the anti-gun establishment.
Renner’s refusal to fight for Open Carry and his 2018 gun control vote prove he’s no friend of gun owners.
Florida Gun Rights Executive Director Logan Edge put it plainly, stating, “Renner is just a gun grabber in sheep’s clothing, and his run for Governor is a direct threat to our Second Amendment rights. His record shows time and again that he will not lead the state in restoring gun rights.”
As the election looms, Florida’s gun owners must draw a line in the sand.
Florida Gun Rights is Leading the Charge
It’s up to the grassroots and no-compromise groups like Florida Gun Rights to hold sellouts accountable and expose their anti-gun records.
But the establishment never takes kindly to grassroots patriots throwing a wrench in their carefully crafted plans.
Fortunately, the Governor’s race is Floridians’ chance to make guns a central issue and stop sellouts like Paul Renner in their tracks.
Please consider a generous contribution of $15, $30, $50 to keep FLGR’s war chest ready for the upcoming elections.
