Paul Renner’s ‘Affordability Now’ tour continues Monday in Crawfordville

Former House Speaker Paul Renner is road-testing his messaging about insurance, property taxes, and other cost burdens for Floridians again this week.

The next chance for prospect voters to meet him is Monday in Crawfordville, where he will be at the Wakulla County Chamber of Commerce starting at 12:30.

Renner, who will tour a local plumbing company while he’s in town, is expected to discuss what his campaign calls “real-world kitchen table concerns and challenges, including the continued lack of meaningful property tax reform, skyrocketing utility bills, persistent insurance premiums, and the increasing cost of healthcare and cost of living.”

Even as Gov. Ron DeSantis, whose endorsement Renner covets, has slow-walked his long-awaited plan to create a clean ballot measure that Floridians can vote for to eliminate homestead property taxes, Renner has been adamant that these would be a “day one priority” targeted for elimination.

The candidate is bringing the message around the state. He will be in Orlando on Apr. 14, Jacksonville on Apr. 15 and Pensacola on Apr. 17.

Renner’s messaging on this issue may resonate, if recent polling from The James Madison Institute is accurate.

The poll, which was taken in February before the beginning of the armed conflict with Iran, found 92% of Florida voters say their living costs have ticked up.

Insurance (24%) and taxes (22%) top the list of housing affordability challenges. Housing supply trailed at 19%.

Property taxes, in particular, are emerging as a flashpoint.

More than half of respondents (54%) say they are paying and handing over more to the county tax collector than they used to.

A broad majority of voters (77%) say they would support some form of reform, including 42% who support moderate changes and 35% who back full elimination.

However, Renner faces structural headwinds. His campaign and associated political committee are spending more money than they are raising. Recent polling from Emerson College shows him with just 3% support, far behind front-runner Byron Donalds.