TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida A&M University students voiced both strong civic aspirations and skepticism during a high-stakes gubernatorial town hall on campus this past Tuesday, providing a backdrop for Republican candidate Byron Donalds’ pitch on higher education, affordability, and the Second Amendment.
Opening the dialogue on youth participation, 22-year-old political science pre-law major Imani Edwards emphasized the necessity of civic involvement.
“I always believe that in education there is power,” Edwards said, urging peers to educate themselves so they can make informed decisions.
Echoing those sentiments, 22-year-old information technology major Omar Samuel addressed the common disconnect between everyday citizens and elected officials.
“In politics, I think there’s a lot of disconnect with the normal everyday person,” Samuel noted, adding that campus events help prove that politicians care about the normal citizen.
Against that student-driven backdrop, Donalds took center stage in Lee Hall to lay out his conservative policy platform. Addressing the state’s university system, Donalds argued that public higher education must focus heavily on economic viability, pointing to high-paying technical fields, trade apprenticeships, and R1 research expansion. On cost-of-living concerns, he pitched regulatory and zoning reforms alongside property insurance overhauls to drive down homeowner and renter costs.
“What I want to do is make changes to Florida’s regulatory side to drive down premiums 20 percent in the state of Florida” Donalds stated.
Donalds also defended gun rights on college campuses, voicing staunch support for the Second Amendment and arguing that law-abiding college adults possess a fundamental right to self-defense.
The evening featured sharp policy debates, audience pushbacks, and an unexpected intermission when a building-wide fire alarm forced a temporary evacuation. Once re-entered, the town hall underscored an energized student body determined to hold leadership accountable.
