An underdog contender for Florida’s gubernatorial seat has stirred controversy by making a potentially racially insensitive remark about his opponent, black Republican candidate Byron Donalds.

James Fishback, 30, a former Wall Street professional and college dropout, officially entered the race to become Florida’s governor this past Monday.

His main rival is Congressman Byron Donalds, the leading Republican candidate who currently serves the 19th Congressional District, which includes Naples and Cape Coral.

Just after filing his candidacy, Fishback made headlines with his choice of words aimed at Donalds, who is African American.

“Byron Donalds is a slave. I’m sorry – he’s a slave,” Fishback declared.

He elaborated, “He’s a slave to his donors, a slave to corporate interests, and to the tech industry tycoons who aim to transform our state into what he calls ‘a financial capital.'”

His remarks quickly caught attention online, where some critics slammed the 30-year-old for employing racially charged language.

‘Byron Donalds has spent his life as a strong, black, conservative voice defending President Trump and the America First Agenda, so he is used to and unfazed by racist Twitter trolls who attack him for that,’ Ryan Smith, a spokesman for Donalds’ campaign, told the Daily Mail in a statement. 

Just after filing paperwork to run for governor in Florida, James Fishback called Congressman Byron Donalds, the frontrunner in the contest, a ‘slave.’ Fishback followed up, saying Donalds is a ‘slave to his donors.’ Donalds’ team has called the remarks racist

Donalds has already been endorsed by President Donald Trum

In a statement given to the Daily Mail, Fishback tripled down on his attack: ‘If Byron Donalds doesn’t want to be called a slave, then he should stop being a slave to his corporate donors.’

‘He’s taken $30 million in corporate money, which has compromised his judgment,’ he continued. 

Fishback, who has posted over half a dozen times on social media calling Donalds a slave, is now drawing backlash from conservatives, including the conspiratorially minded who see him as a distraction.

‘Fishback is a chaos agent most likely in the race to peel votes from a serious challenge to Byron Donalds,’ lamented Florida-based John Cardillo. 

‘I’d advise against calling the Trump endorsed, black GOP Congressman running for Governor of Florida a “slave,”‘ conservative pundit Laura Loomer wrote on X. 

Fishback later responded to her, doubling down and once again referring to the congressman as a slave.  

Despite his provocative, seemingly veiled racial attacks, Donalds is currently seen as the frontrunner in the race. 

A new poll from American Promise shows that 43 percent of likely GOP voters back Donalds, while all other Republican candidates, including Fishback, failed to surpass even two percent support. 

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis will be termed out after next year. He has yet to endorse a candidate 

The congressman also has the much-coveted endorsement from President Donald Trump. 

Though that may not concern Fishback, who has positioned himself as the heir to Governor Ron DeSantis’ dynasty. 

The 30-year-old investment firm CEO wrote in his announcement video that he wants to carry on DeSantis’ legacy and keep DEI out of the Sunshine State while clamping down on H1-B foreign worker visas. 

He also wants to abolish property taxes, a major DeSantis priority, and cancel AI data centers. 

‘I’ll fight to preserve Governor DeSantis’ wins by keeping Florida free from DEI, radical transgenderism, Soros-backed prosecutors, child predators, voter fraud and the millions of illegals that invaded our country on Kamala Harris’ watch,’ the 30-year-old candidate said. 

Donalds, meanwhile, has been endorsed by President Donald Trump and is seen as the mainstream MAGA candidate in the competition.

DeSantis has yet to endorse a candidate in the race, though it is an open question whether he would back Donalds, who endorsed Trump in the 2024 presidential contest over the Florida governor.