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Rodney Glover
Rodney Glover (No Party Affiliation) is running for election for Governor of Florida. He declared candidacy as a write-in for the 2026 election.
Glover completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Rodney Glover was born in Shreveport, Louisiana. He served in the U.S. Navy from 2000 to 2022. He graduated from Huntington High School. He attended University of Phoenix. His career experience includes working as an information technology professional. He has been affiliated with the Order of the Sword and Shield and the National Honors Society.[1]
Elections
2026
See also: Florida gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2026
General election
The general election will occur on November 3, 2026.
General election for Governor of Florida
The following candidates are running in the general election for Governor of Florida on November 3, 2026.
Candidate | ||
 | David Jolly (D) | |
| Donald Peterson (D) | ||
| Christopher Powell (D) | ||
| Shea Cruel (R) | ||
 | Byron Donalds (R) | |
| Jim Holcomb (R) | ||
 | John Joseph Mercadante (R) | |
 | William Reicherter (R) | |
 | Paul Renner (R) | |
 | Matthew Taylor (R) | |
| Robert Edward William Jr. (R) | ||
| Brandon L. McIntyre (Constitution Party) | ||
 | Scott Jewett (L) | |
| Surindar Bedi (No Party Affiliation) | ||
| James Brown (No Party Affiliation) | ||
 | Moliere Dimanche (No Party Affiliation)  | |
| Insley Evans (No Party Affiliation) | ||
 | Kyle Gibson (No Party Affiliation) | |
| Neil Gillespie (No Party Affiliation) | ||
| Mourice Hylton (No Party Affiliation) | ||
| Holly Klask (No Party Affiliation) | ||
 | Andrea Lynn Klink (No Party Affiliation) | |
 | Jason Pizzo (No Party Affiliation) | |
| David Wexler (No Party Affiliation) | ||
 | Rodney Glover (No Party Affiliation) (Write-in) | |
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Endorsements
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Campaign themes
2026
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Rodney Glover completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Glover's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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I'm running as a non-party affiliated candidate because I believe our political system has become too focused on partisan battles rather than empowering citizens. My campaign for Legislative Authority for Citizens aims to create a direct democracy where Floridians have ongoing control over elected officials and legislation after election day.
The Florida Constitution clearly states in Article 1, Section 1 that political power belongs to the people, yet this principle isn't adequately implemented. Citizens' political power is largely limited to voting during elections, while those with financial resources shape our state's direction between election cycles.- Legislative Authority for Citizens: Empowering Floridians with direct democracy to maintain control over elected officials and legislation between elections, not just on election day.
- Constitutional Implementation: Restoring the promise of Florida Constitution Article 1, Section 1 that "All political power is inherent in the people" through meaningful citizen participation in governance.
- Independent Leadership: As a 22-year Navy veteran with no party affiliation and zero-budget campaign, I'm accountable only to Florida's citizens, not special interests or partisan politics.
Anti-Corruption Measures: Eliminating the disproportionate influence of special interests and creating equitable access to government for all citizens regardless of financial resources.
This work illustrates the tension between effective governance and citizen sovereignty that this campaign addresses through direct democracy mechanisms. It helps explain why our founders intended for citizens to have meaningful control over their government, not just symbolic power exercised only on election day.
Transparency and Accessibility: Making all government processes visible to citizens and remaining directly accessible to all Floridians regardless of their economic or social status.
Systemic Reform: Transforming government structures to prevent power concentration and create genuine citizen oversight of legislation, budgets, and policy decisions between elections.
While traditional responsibilities like budget management, emergency response, and policy leadership are essential, the fundamental responsibility of upholding citizens' constitutional right to political power supersedes all others. Currently, this constitutional promise remains largely unfulfilled, as citizens' influence is limited to periodic voting while special interests maintain continuous access to governance.
As Governor, I would prioritize creating practical mechanisms for citizens to exercise their inherent political power through:
Establishing direct democracy systems that allow citizens to participate in legislative decisions between elections
Implementing transparent budget oversight processes where citizens have meaningful input on financial priorities
Developing accountability structures that enable citizens to exercise authority over elected officials throughout their terms
I believe the budget process should be fundamentally transformed to give citizens direct oversight and decision-making power. While the Governor should provide leadership and expertise, the ultimate budgetary authority should rest with the people as guaranteed by Florida's Constitution.
My approach would include:
Creating transparent, accessible platforms where every budget item is clearly explained in plain language that all citizens can understand
Establishing citizen budget committees with real authority to review, modify, and approve spending priorities before implementation
Implementing participatory budgeting processes where Floridians directly vote on significant portions of the state budget, not just through their representatives
Providing executive guidance and expertise while respecting that citizens should have the final say on how their tax dollars are spent
This approach aligns with my core platform of Legislative Authority for Citizens. The budget represents one of the most important policy documents in state government, and citizens deserve direct input into these decisions rather than merely electing officials who then make these choices with minimal public oversight.
In Florida, where governors do have line-item veto power, I would approach this authority differently than traditional governors. Rather than making these decisions unilaterally, I would:
Create a transparent public review process for budget items that might warrant a veto, allowing citizens to directly weigh in on questionable expenditures
Establish citizen budget oversight committees with advisory authority to recommend line-item vetoes based on public input and careful analysis
Use the line-item veto primarily to eliminate expenditures that:
Lack transparency or public scrutiny
Benefit special interests at the expense of the general public
Were added without meaningful citizen input
Contradict priorities established through citizen participation processes
Publish detailed explanations for every line-item veto decision, connecting each to specific citizen concerns and constitutional principles
In my vision:
Both the governor and legislature would recognize that their authority comes from the people and exists to implement the constitutional principle that "All political power is inherent in the people"
The traditional checks and balances between these branches would be maintained, but with a fundamental shift in purpose - to ensure citizen authority is preserved rather than to balance power between elected officials
The relationship would be characterized by:
Transparent collaboration visible to all citizens
Joint commitment to implementing citizen-directed initiatives
Shared accountability to the people through direct democracy mechanisms
Mutual support for constitutional amendments that establish permanent citizen legislative authority
Both would work together to create systems where citizens have ongoing control over legislation and policy between elections, rather than merely choosing representatives who then exercise power independently
This approach fundamentally transforms the traditional concept of separation of powers. Rather than the governor and legislature primarily checking each other's authority, both would focus on ensuring that citizen authority remains paramount in governance.
Florida's rich multicultural heritage also holds a special place in my heart. Our state represents a beautiful tapestry of cultures, traditions, and histories that have blended together while maintaining their unique identities. From St. Augustine's historic significance as the nation's oldest city to the vibrant cultural influences throughout our communities, Florida's history tells a compelling story of resilience and diversity.
Democratic Deficit: The growing disconnect between citizens and their government represents Florida's most fundamental challenge. As special interests continue to exert disproportionate influence over legislation and policy, citizens increasingly feel powerless in governance between elections. This undermines the constitutional principle that "All political power is inherent in the people" and threatens the very foundation of our democracy.
Environmental Sustainability: Florida faces critical environmental challenges including sea level rise, water quality degradation, and habitat loss. These issues threaten not only our natural treasures but also our economy and way of life. Addressing these challenges requires long-term planning and citizen-directed priorities rather than short-term solutions influenced by special interests.
Economic Inequality: The widening gap between Florida's wealthy and working-class citizens presents a significant challenge. This economic divide often translates into political inequality, where those with financial resources have greater access to and influence over elected officials. Creating systems where all citizens have equal voice in governance regardless of wealth will be essential for addressing this growing disparity.
Narrowly Defined: Emergency powers should only be invoked for specific, legitimate emergencies like natural disasters, public health crises, or imminent threats to public safety - not for political convenience or to circumvent normal legislative processes.
Temporally Limited: Any emergency declaration should include clear expiration dates, requiring renewal through a process that includes citizen oversight and legislative approval. Indefinite emergency powers undermine democratic principles.
Transparently Exercised: All emergency actions must be fully transparent to citizens, with clear explanations of why normal democratic processes are being bypassed and what specific outcomes are being pursued.
Citizen Overseen: Even during emergencies, mechanisms should exist for citizen review and input. While immediate action may be necessary, this doesn't eliminate the constitutional principle that power ultimately resides with the people.
Constitutionally Bounded: Emergency powers should never violate constitutional rights or permanently alter governmental structures without proper democratic processes.
Financial records, budgets, contracts, and expenditures should be published in straightforward formats that the average person can comprehend without specialized knowledge. This transparency should extend to all levels of government operations, from local municipalities to state agencies.
Citizens deserve not just access to information, but also the authority to question, challenge, and direct how their tax dollars are spent. This aligns with my core platform of Legislative Authority for Citizens – true accountability comes only when citizens have both information and the power to act on that information between election cycles.
Changes I would consider:
Reducing Financial Barriers: Eliminating or significantly lowering the financial requirements that currently make it nearly impossible for grassroots citizen initiatives to reach the ballot without substantial funding.
Simplifying Signature Requirements: Reforming the signature gathering process to make it more accessible to ordinary citizens rather than requiring expensive professional petition gatherers.
Extending Petition Timeframes: Providing longer periods for signature collection to allow genuine grassroots movements sufficient time to organize and gather required signatures.
Protecting Citizen Initiatives from Legislative Interference: Preventing the legislature from altering or undermining citizen-passed initiatives without supermajority approval or citizen consent.
Expanding Initiative Scope: Allowing citizens to propose a wider range of constitutional and statutory changes, particularly those related to implementing direct democracy mechanisms.
While traditional governance views the Governor as the ultimate decision-maker, my perspective fundamentally differs. As Governor, I would see my role as implementing the constitutional principle that "All political power is inherent in the people." This means creating systems where executive authority is exercised in direct partnership with citizens, not above them.
The Governor's office should function as the people's instrument for ensuring their constitutional authority is realized. This includes establishing transparent mechanisms for citizens to directly influence policy decisions, oversee budget allocations, and hold all government officials accountable between elections.
My administration would transform executive authority from a top-down power structure to a bottom-up empowerment system. Rather than concentrating decision-making in the Governor's office, I would distribute that authority to citizens through direct democracy mechanisms that give Floridians ongoing control over their government.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
Campaign finance summary
Campaign finance information for this candidate is not yet available from OpenSecrets. That information will be published here once it is available.
See also
2026 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on April 27, 2025
