October 21, 2026
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Birds of a Feather-A New Arrival

B. John 24 Views 0 Comments , , , , ,
This entry is in the series 2026 Elections

A few weeks ago, Ken Gay highlighted endorsements from three Republican state representatives whose records closely match his own views on vouchers, LGBTQ students, and religion in public schools.

Apparently, the flock was still accepting new members.

On Tuesday, former Republican gubernatorial candidate James Fishback endorsed Gay for Hillsborough County School Board District 6, saying he was “proud to endorse conservative Kenneth ‘Ken’ Gay.” Gay’s conservative politics were already clear from his iVoterGuide questionnaire. Fishback’s endorsement adds another interesting voice to the chorus.

And Fishback is quite a voice.

During his 2026 campaign for governor, Fishback gained national attention for using provocative rhetoric aimed at the Republican Party’s far-right online base. WLRN reported that his events attracted supporters wearing “American Reich” shirts and hats, and that he praised followers of white nationalist streamer Nick Fuentes as “incredibly informed,” “insightful,” and “very patriotic.” Fishback told WLRN that people offended by his language should basically “get over it.”

That language included some extraordinary claims.

Axios reported that Fishback said, “White genocide is real.” This phrase is part of a long-running white nationalist conspiracy theory that claims demographic change, immigration, and interracial relationships are part of a deliberate effort to eliminate white people. Fishback also promoted “Great Replacement” rhetoric during the campaign.

Even prominent Republicans also objected. The Republican Party of Florida dropped Fishback from a major candidate forum, citing procedural issues and his history of racist and antisemitic attacks. Attorney General James Uthmeier publicly criticized him after Fishback called Byron Donalds, who is Black, a “slave” to corporate donors and used other racially charged language. And that’s saying something when you’re too far out there even for James Uthmeiter.

Vanity Fair reported that Fishback’s campaign focused on provocations, such as saying his Black opponent would be sent back to the “ghetto” and using antisemitic internet slang. His campaign also drew support from figures like Nick Fuentes and Andrew Tate.

Fishback finished third in the Republican gubernatorial primary with just over 10% of the vote. Since then, he has continued to make political endorsements. Now one of those endorsements belongs to Ken Gay.

An endorsement does not mean Gay agrees with every view of the person supporting him. Candidates cannot control who supports them. However, Gay chose to highlight support from conservative Republican lawmakers whose education records resemble his own. Fishback has now added his name to that list, too.

At some point, “birds of a feather” stops being just an old saying and starts looking like a pretty good description of the guest list.

Sources

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B. John

B. John Masters writes about democracy, moral responsibility, and everyday Stoicism at deep.mastersfamily.org. A lifelong United Methodist committed to social justice, he explores how faith, ethics, and civic life intersect—and how ordinary people can live out justice, mercy, and truth in public life. A records and information management expert, Masters has lived in the Piedmont,NC, Dayton, OH, Greensboro, NC and Tampa, FL, and is a proud Appalachian State Alum.

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