Former Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett is running for Florida governor as an independent in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election.

Burkett filed his candidacy on May 4, 2026, and qualified on June 8 by paying a qualifying fee, according to the Florida Division of Elections. He is registered with no party affiliation. His running mate is Ruben A. Coto. His campaign website states the campaign is not accepting contributions and is not affiliated with or controlled by either major party.

Other candidates in the race include Byron Donalds (Republican), David Jolly (Democratic), Dean Ocean Abrams, Frank Russo, Jeffrey Peter Datto, Moliere Dimanche (all no party preference) and Scott Jewett (Libertarian).

Candidate information

  • Residence: Surfside, where Burkett said he has lived since 1996
  • Birthplace: Miami Beach, according to his campaign
  • Education: Burkett said he attended St. Patrick's School in Miami Beach, The Cushman School in Miami and Archbishop Curley High School in Miami. He said he earned a bachelor of science in finance from the University of Miami.
  • Career: Burkett said he has owned a national real estate investment and management company since 1983.

Experience and public service

Burkett said he served as mayor of the Town of Surfside from 2006 to 2010, 2020 to 2022 and 2024 to 2026. He also ran unsuccessfully for Surfside mayor in 2004, according to his campaign.

While serving as Surfside mayor in 2021, Burkett navigated his community through the Champlain Towers South condominium collapse, which killed 98 people, WLRN reported.

Burkett's campaign lists additional civic roles: board member and chairman of the Miami Beach Housing Authority, president of the North Beach Development Corporation, board member of the Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce and the La Gorce-Pinetree Homeowners Association, and member of the Miami Beach Code Enforcement Board, the Miami Beach Nuisance Abatement Board, the Miami Beach Community Development Block Grant Board and the Miami Beach Police Academy.

On the issues

The following positions are drawn from Burkett's campaign website and press materials. No candidate questionnaire response is available.

Property taxes: Burkett proposes to slash and eventually eliminate property taxes for long-term Florida homeowners and renters. Under his plan, homeowners would receive a cumulative 10-percentage-point increase in their homestead exemption for each year beyond a 10-year residency vesting period until it reaches 100%.

Development and growth: Burkett said he wants to stop the "Manhattanization" and over-densification of Florida communities. He proposes repealing the Live Local Act and favoring renovation over new construction.

Insurance: Burkett proposes rewriting Florida's property and auto insurance laws to introduce what he describes as radical competition among carriers. He also proposes requiring annual non-cancellable auto insurance policies tied to vehicle registration.

Transportation and taxes: Burkett proposes eliminating paid highway express lanes, tolls on public roads and Florida's gas tax. He also proposes dismissing non-criminal traffic tickets for drivers with clean 10-year records.

Government efficiency: Burkett proposes eliminating what he calls excessive pay and pension schemes for career politicians. He would require government positions paying more than $250,000 to be reviewed and re-advertised every two years. He also proposes transitioning new public employees to 401(k)-style retirement plans, noting the Florida Retirement System has an unfunded liability he says requires a $43 billion injection.