Florida's new governor will have a lot to tackle on Jan. 1, 2027, whether that's David Jolly, left, or Byron Donalds. David Jolly: AP Photo/Marta Lavandier, Byron Donalds: AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, illustration by The ConversationAfter nearly three decades of Republican control of Florida, the executive office of the governor has become more powerful than ever before. So when Florida voters choose between Republican Byron Donalds and Democrat David Jolly for governor on Nov. 3, the winner will be poised to shape the state’s direction for years to come.I’m a political scientist who has lived in Florida for almost two decades and seen the powers of the governor’s office grow. I’ve been watching how the two candidates say they will use their authority to shape policy around healthcare, education and home rule – and what help they might need from the Legislature. Florida’s next governor will appoint the state’s next surgeon general, who will determine childhood vaccine requirements for Florida schools. Joe Raedle/Getty Images News Florida health policy on vaccine mandatesOne of the first choices awaiting the new governor will be whom to appoint as Florida surgeon general, a position created in 2007. The surgeon general oversees the Florida Department of Health and county health departments across the state.The position comes with the power to declare public health emergencies, forcibly quarantine people and set vaccine mandates for illnesses such as chickenpox that fall outside the state Legislature’s framework of seven childhood vaccine mandates.As part of his conservative remake of Florida policies, Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed the current surgeon general, Dr. Joseph Ladapo, to the position in 2021. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Ladapo emerged as a leading medical freedom advocate and vaccine skeptic.Ladapo opposes all vaccine mandates. At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, he recommended against COVID-19 vaccinations for healthy children and ended quarantine mandates for Florida public schoolchildren exposed to COVID-19. He also said that he wanted mRNA vaccines “not to be available to anyone” in the state.Ladapo also proposed new Florida health rules in October 2026 to drop mandates for four vaccines required for school attendance, including chickenpox and hepatitis B. Currently, the state allows exemptions only for approved religious or medical reasons.The Florida Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics opposes the rule change on public health grounds.Donalds has long opposed vaccine mandates and says that he did not personally receive a COVID-19 vaccine. He supports Ladapo’s proposed rule change to reduce school vaccination mandates and says he is open to reappointing Ladapo as surgeon general.Jolly, on the other hand, supports Florida’s current school vaccine mandates and exemptions. He says he would fire Ladapo on Day 1 in favor of someone who “embraces science and evidence-based public health.”No matter which candidate is elected governor, the Florida Legislature has tied his hands on how far he can push vaccine policy. The Legislature has mandated measles and polio vaccines for all K-12 public school students, so getting rid of that requirement would require a change in the law. It also stripped the surgeon general of the power to enforce vaccine mandates during public health emergencies in November 2021, during the pandemic.Universal school vouchersOne of the biggest developments in Florida K-12 education in recent years has been the creation of a system of universal vouchers by DeSantis and the Legislature in 2023. This program allows parents of any income level to use US$8,000 in state money on average, based on county of residence, for their children’s private or homeschooling education.The universal voucher program has created intense pressure on the state budget. It cost an estimated $4.5 billion in fiscal year 2026. State auditors have identified accountability problems in tracking funds through the system. Public schools have faced declining enrollment, with fewer resources to serve the neediest students they cannot turn away.Donalds strongly supports the universal voucher program, recounting how his family saved money for him to attend a private high school. Donalds has touted universal vouchers in Christian nationalist circles and expressed an interest in making Florida “the model state for school choice” by allowing parents to choose among private educational providers competing in the marketplace.His wife, Erika Donalds, is a former Collier County school board member who operates a network of for-profit charter schools and advocates nationally for school choice. The only change Donalds has proposed is a universal scorecard for the voucher program so that parents can compare educational data on student performance across different types of schools. Currently, only public schools must provide this data.Jolly also supports the universal voucher program but wants significant changes. Jolly personally sends his own two children to private, faith-based schools with the support of vouchers. He says private schools that accept vouchers should meet the same standards and requirements as public schools, including the mandate to serve students with disabilities. He also wants to limit private school tuition to the value of the voucher and reinstate benefit eligibility based on financial need. Campaign promises aside, neither candidate can do much to affect the universal voucher program, because it was created by the Legislature.Democrat Jolly knows he would need the Legislature’s cooperation to advance reforms and claims that he has identified Republican allies to do so. Donalds would likely face a friendly Republican majority for his more modest proposed reforms.The next Florida governor will also be able to influence state education policy by appointing the seven members of the Board of Education and then recommending a candidate for commissioner of education for that board to elect. The commissioner and state board oversee the Florida Department of Education and programs from kindergarten through postsecondary education.The position of commissioner used to be elected, but in 2002 voters approved a constitutional amendment creating the current system, which gives more power to the governor.The next governor’s appointees to the Board of Education could try to shape the effects of universal vouchers more indirectly. The board could approve an annual legislative budget request with new recommended funding levels for public education to make up for shortfalls due to revenue loss from vouchers.They could also implement new eligibility rules for private school vouchers, as the DeSantis administration has done.In general, Jolly says he intends to use executive authority as vigorously as possible in education, as DeSantis did, particularly to promote diversity programs. As of October 2026, the state Legislature has a Republican supermajority in both the House and Senate. The GOP is expected to maintain at least a majority in the Legislature through the 2026 election, which would pose a challenge for Democrat David Jolly if he is elected governor. The Washington Post via Getty News Home rule and executive authorityA third hot-button topic facing the next governor is home rule, or the principle that local governments, such as cities and counties, should be able to set policy on local issues.The DeSantis administration severely eroded home rule. The governor signed legislation limiting local controls over land development. This bill restricted the ability of Manatee County, for example, to protect wetlands under the guise of emergency management legislation. He also required counties to cooperate with federal immigration authorities and put counties under DOGE-style audits. He even removed local elected officials from office. For example, he ousted a pair of popular Democratic state attorneys, Hillsborough County State Attorney Andrew Warren and State Attorney Monique Worrell of Orange and Osceola counties, alleging neglect of duty in both cases. By August 2023, DeSantis had removed 23 elected officials, a number much larger than his predecessors. Donalds has affirmed that he supports the steps DeSantis has taken and plans to take executive authority further, scheduling more DOGE audits of local government and removing more elected officials as needed.In contrast, Jolly says he would counter DeSantis on home rule. He wants local authorities to decide budgets and policy on their own. He sees removing elected officials as an affront to the democratic process.What to do about large-scale data centers, however, scrambles home rule for the candidates. Donalds wants local communities to be able to decide whether to build data centers. But Jolly, citing concerns about the health and environmental effects of data centers, wants a statewide moratorium on new data center construction for one year and is open to a permanent ban.Voters will have an important say of their own on home rule when they vote on Amendment 3, which would substantially lower homestead property taxes. Critics warn that if it passes, local governments will likely have to turn to Tallahassee to make up for lost funds, and strings will be attached. Donalds supports Amendment 3, while Jolly opposes it.Read more of our stories about Florida.Liv Coleman is affiliated with the Manatee County Democratic Party.