STUART, Fla. — Republican gubernatorial nominee Byron Donalds held a roundtable discussion Wednesday with Martin County insurance agents, realtors, physicians and residents, outlining proposals he said would lower homeowners insurance premiums, speed post-storm rebuilding and address health care costs as part of his Affordable Florida Tour.
Donalds, a U.S. representative from Naples, endorsed by President Donald Trump, asked participants to introduce themselves and raise issues facing the Treasure Coast.
“This is not a speech,” Donalds said. “Let’s just have a dialogue.”
The conversation quickly centered on property insurance. Local agents said Gov. Ron DeSantis’ tort reforms had brought more carriers into the market, 21 new companies writing homeowners policies, and improved capacity and policy forms. They asked how Donalds would continue those changes and keep the new insurers in Florida.
Donalds pledged to preserve the tort reforms, saying they give actuaries and international reinsurers the stability they need. He pointed to recent filings with the Office of Insurance Regulation showing carriers requesting lower rates.
He said he would eliminate the 25% “rapid cash buildup” factor on Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund premiums, a surcharge added after the 2004-05 storms. The fund now holds about $12.5 billion against a $17 billion statutory cap, he said, and the extra charge only raises premiums.
“Why are we still doing a rapid cash buildup factor in a fund that is mostly just sitting in cash right now?” Donalds asked. “I think for consumers, let’s take that kicker off.”
He also called for more targeted home-hardening grants focused on roof straps and pre-1993 construction, automatic post-storm building permits, a claims-process overhaul and a public scorecard showing carriers’ denial rates and processing times.
Realtor Michael Ponte, president of the Martin County Realtors of the Treasure Coast, proposed that insurers be required to keep coverage in force on a property through the existing policy’s renewal date when a home is sold, rather than immediately re-underwriting the new buyer. Donalds called the idea “common sense” and said the Office of Insurance Regulation could implement it by rule.
Insurance agent Tammy Carroll and others pushed back, saying short remaining terms create accounting problems and that lenders typically require a full year of coverage plus escrow. Donalds said both perspectives merited further review.
Public adjuster Joe Conley said many policies still carry $10,000 water-damage caps and have dropped appraisal clauses that once resolved disputes without lawsuits. He asked for more adjusters and better consumer tools so buyers understand coverage, not just price. Donalds agreed on transparency and said Florida should post denial rates and timelines the way it already posts premium comparisons.
Homeowner Karen Vaughn said her premium rose from $2,400 nine years ago to $6,500 this year with no claims. Donalds attributed the increase largely to higher reconstruction costs and said permitting reform and Cat Fund changes could cut premiums 20-25%. He urged residents to shop carriers.
The discussion turned to health care. Medicare agent Gary Owen described a family of five that lost most of its subsidy and could insure only one child. Donalds blamed Affordable Care Act regulations for driving premiums and deductibles higher since 2010 and said enhanced COVID-era subsidies only masked the problem. He proposed larger risk pools, more flexible policy designs, an end to prior-authorization delays and cash-price posting for the top 20 services at every hospital and doctor’s office.
Interventional cardiologist Dr. Carrie Clark said private-equity buyouts and physician non-competes are forcing doctors out of the area. A longtime patient, Billy Vaughn, said Clark saved his life in 2017 but can no longer treat him as a cardiologist because of a non-compete after her group was sold. Donalds said Florida already lacks enough physicians and asked to meet with Clark to examine the issue.
Other topics included Amendment 3, the homestead-exemption measure on the November ballot. Donalds said he will vote for it and that local governments should cut budgets rather than raise fees or millage on businesses in anticipation of its passage. He also floated a specialized business-litigation court, high-school apprenticeships in trades including insurance adjusting, regional growth planning, a 30-year freshwater plan and local control over data-center siting.
Donalds closed by saying Florida’s success has made it expensive and that voters must decide in 41 days whether to keep “common sense leadership.”
“We have a responsibility to look at how we do our business, retool them, try to drive down costs in every area that we can,” he said.
Donalds said Jolly’s insurance plan would raise premiums “easily double digits” and could trigger a statewide assessment if a proposed state fund ran short. The election is Nov. 3.