Florida gubernatorial candidate promises GTA 6

Florida gubernatorial candidate James Fishback told supporters the state needs a governor who can do “a little carjacking” in Grand Theft Auto 6. The remark was offered along with a campaign promise to keep one GTA 6 marathon.

Fishback, 31, is CEO of Azoria Partners, an investment management firm he co-founded in 2023. He is also running a long-running GOP campaign to succeed Ron DeSantis as Florida governor. Throughout his ongoing bid, Fishback has sought to distinguish himself from Rep. Byron Donalds, the current frontrunner in the race. Most recently, these efforts have been caught up in the hype around GTA 6Rockstar's twice-delayed blockbuster.

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Florida gubernatorial candidate promises GTA 6 Marathon if he wins

During a recent episode on the campaign trail, Fishback promised to hold a 24-hour GTA 6 marathon at the governor's mansion if he wins. “You need a governor who can do some carjacking GTA” the candidate said on Jan. 23, prompting applause from his small audience. Fishback elaborated on the pledge, explaining that he intends to offer a chance for “every single top student” from Florida's public schools to participate in the marathon after he wins the race and GTA 6 is finally released.

Fishback's campaign track pledge was shared hundreds of times and garnered over 5,800 likes on Twitter, ultimately surpassing 273,000 views in the first two days of publication on January 23. Part of the punchline here lies in the setting: GTA 6 takes place in Leonida, Rockstar's fictional stand-in for Florida. While that makes the game a current reference for a gubernatorial candidate, it wasn't the only reason it came up, and Fishback noted that he grew up playing GTA: San Andreascalling it a “very interesting game.” He did not specify when this occurred, although it may not have been immediately after the game's release in 2004, as he would have been only nine years old at the time.

The Florida gubernatorial candidate isn't convinced that GTA 6 is coming out anytime soon

The widely shared campaign video ends with Fishback asking a question about whether he will “still be governor” at the time GTA 6 comes out, provided he is elected in the first place. “Probably not,” he replied with a broad smile. The off-hand comment underscores ongoing skepticism about whether Rockstar's long-awaited title will actually meet its current November 19 release date target. For reference, the game was first announced in December 2024 with a fall 2025 release window, which was moved to May 26, 2026, six months later. The current date was set to October 2025.

The next GTA 6 development status update is coming soon

If GTA 6 will reach its current release date may become clearer on February 3, when Take-Two Interactive is scheduled to publish its next consolidated financial report. Since formally announcing the title, the publisher has offered vague development updates in each subsequent earnings report, either unprompted or in response to analyst questions. The same is expected to be the case with this upcoming report, which will cover the third quarter of the company's fiscal year 2026, that is, the three-month period ending December 31, 2025.

Fishback is unlikely to be in position to fulfill the GTA 6 campaign promise

As for Fishback, it's unlikely he needs to do well on his GTA 6 marathon pledge because his chances of becoming the next governor of Florida are slim at best. According to the latest polls, Rep. Byron Donalds remains the clear front-runner, expected to secure between 29% and 45% of the August 18 Republican primary. Fishback, by contrast, is polling at just 1% to 3% — and that's based on the most optimistic estimates, since some polls don't even recognize him. The Florida general election is scheduled for November 3rd.