Florida gubernatorial candidate James Fishback has made accountability for Epstein co-conspirators a centerpiece of his campaign. Noting that despite hundreds of men being named in the Epstein files, not a single one has been arrested, Fishback pledged on February 2, 2026, that as governor he would direct every state resource toward investigating anyone involved in sex trafficking, regardless of party, to ensure every victim receives justice. That commitment has carried through his campaign stops. At a University of Florida town hall in March 2026, Fishback promised that if elected, he would appoint a special prosecutor on his first day in office to reopen investigations tied to Epstein’s activities in Palm Beach and called for the full release of files related to the case. At a UCF appearance in April 2026, he framed the issue in explicitly bipartisan terms, telling the audience that he did not care whether someone was a Republican or a Democrat — if they were in those files, they must be brought to justice.
On the question of punishment, Fishback has stated that capital punishment should be used as sparingly as possible and reserved only for the most heinous crimes, but has called for the public execution of Epstein’s co-conspirators and has pledged to appoint a special prosecutor and reopen state investigations. The legal backdrop he appears to be invoking is real: in 2023, Governor Ron DeSantis signed legislation expanding death penalty eligibility to those convicted of sex crimes against children, and Florida prosecutors have since sought the death penalty in at least one case under that law.
dependent Florida Alligator — UF town hall coverage (special prosecutor on day one, reopen Palm Beach investigation)
https://www.alligator.org/article/2026/03/james-fishback
Knight News (UCF) — “If you are in those files, you must be brought to justice”
https://knightnews.com/2026/04/james-fishback-draws-a-crowd-at-ucf-on-campaign-trail/
FAU University Press — covers his anti-Israel-funding stance, Epstein file release
