Anti-H1B Florida governor candidate claims arsonists targeted his house, set fire in yard

Florida gubernatorial candidate James Fishback has claimed he was the victim of an arson attack after a fire was started in his front yard on Sunday, reports NBC.

According to his campaign, “Fishback for Florida,” he returned to his home in Madison to find a fire intentionally set in his side yard. The flames reportedly spread towards the house while he and his staff were working inside. Madison County Fire Rescue responded to the scene and contained the fire before it damaged the home. His campaign has condemned the alleged attack. No arrests have been made in connection with the fire.

Fishback also addressed the incident on his socials: "My team and I are okay. Yesterday, an arsonist tried to burn down my house in Madison. Tonight, I’ll be hosting a rally at my house."

Fishback is known for his strong opposition to the H‑1B visa programme. He has vowed to take immediate action against H‑1B holders in state employment if elected. He said he would “fire every single H‑1B working at our state agencies before the sun sets on my first day as Florida Governor.”




He has also repeatedly called the H‑1B system a “scam” that hurts Americans and steals jobs from them. He argued that companies use the visa to hire foreign workers instead of qualified domestic candidates, claiming US firms “refuse to interview” Americans and “hide job postings” to justify hiring H‑1B holders. He demanded that the programme be dismantled so as to not allow "cheap foreign labour" to entet US.

Fishback has connected his opposition to H‑1B visas with personal experience, stating that his mother lost her job in 2021 and was replaced by an H‑1B worker. In a Fox panel discussion, he said CEOs do not genuinely interview Americans and instead rely on foreign labour through the visa programme.

He has also raised the issue in political debates, telling Ohio gubernatorial candidate and Indian-origin MAGA leader Vivek Ramaswamy, “There’s no American Dream when H‑1Bs can come here and steal our jobs and dignity.”

Fishback has previously proposed other controversial policies, including a “sin tax” on 50 per cent of OnlyFans users’ incomes. James has also locked horns with OnlyFans model Sophie Rain on this issue.

James Fishback is competing for the Republican nomination in Florida’s 2026 governor race. His main GOP rivals include US Representative Byron Donalds, former House Speaker Paul Renner, and Lt. governor Jay Collins, alongside candidates Charles Burkett and Bobby Williams. On the Democratic side, contenders include Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings and former US Representative David Jolly, who switched parties to run.