Moliere "Moe" Dimanche, a Haitian American from Orlando, is running for Florida governor as a No Party Preference candidate in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election. His running mate is Benjiman Rojas, according to the Florida Division of Elections.

Asked why he is running, Dimanche said in our candidate questionnaire: "I believe that most Floridians have had it with public corruption. It affects every aspect of our life and there is no way to escape it anymore. I envision a Florida where everyone can expect to live peacefully and be prosperous, but until we get a handle on public corruption that's not a reality for most Floridians."

Other candidates in the race include Byron Donalds (Republican), David Jolly (Democratic), Charles Burkett (No Party Preference), Dean Ocean Abrams (No Party Preference), Frank Russo (No Party Preference), Jeffrey Peter Datto (No Party Preference) and Scott Jewett (Libertarian), according to BallotReady election data.

Candidate information

Party affiliation: "I am not affiliated with any party. I believe both parties can be right at times, and on the wrong side of things as well," Dimanche said in our questionnaire.

Family: "I have a ton of brothers, and no sisters. My father was deported to Haiti in 1988 and I don't really know him … My wife is a registered Republican and has been a pro-life activist since she was a child because her mom was very active protesting against Planned Parenthood. We have 3 sons. My oldest son, Caleb is a 6th grader at Discovery Middle School, and we have 5-year-old identical twins," Dimanche said.

Education: "I attended West Orange High School in Winter Garden, Florida and received a scholarship to attend Florida School of the Arts. Flo Arts is a part of St. John's River State College in Palatka, Florida," Dimanche said. He holds an associate of arts in studio art from St. Johns River State College, according to Wikipedia.

On running as an independent: "I believe we are in a time where folks don't know what to expect anymore. We keep getting the same problems, no matter who we vote for, and that leads to some feeling like voting doesn't matter … the two major parties are two sides of the same coin. Once we break away from that, we will see a state, and a country that finally meets our expectations," Dimanche said in our questionnaire.

Experience and public service

Occupation: "I am a FedEx driver. I previously worked as a barber before I published a book called It Takes a Criminal to Know One: How the Inspector General and I are one and the Same. I took a book tour from 2016-2109 and showcased my art all over the world before I settled down and began working for FedEx," Dimanche said in our questionnaire.

Previous campaigns: "I have never held, or been appointed to public office. I did run for mayor of the city of Orlando, but did not appear on the ballot because I did not manage to pay the qualifying fee. I also ran for District 5 Commissioner, but the check I provided forms qualifying fee was returned by the City of Orlando without explanation and I did not appear on the ballot," Dimanche said.

Dimanche filed his gubernatorial candidacy on June 26, 2024, and qualified on June 10, 2026, paying the qualifying fee, according to the Florida Division of Elections. He formally announced his candidacy on Aug. 8, 2025, at the 43rd Annual Pig Roast & Political Mingle hosted by the Northeast Polk Chamber of Commerce in Haines City, according to his campaign.

Civil rights record: In 2007, at age 19, Dimanche received a 10-year prison sentence for theft of construction materials and served 8.5 years, according to Wikipedia. While incarcerated, he litigated a civil rights case in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, Dimanche v. Brown (2015). Asked how that shaped his decision to run, Dimanche said in our questionnaire: "It taught me that, no matter how hard things seem, the system works. No matter what the odds are, if you keep fighting, you can get there."

His Redemption series, a portfolio of drawings made in prison, earned him a Pell Grant scholarship and has been featured in Folio, Salon.com and The Conversation, according to Wikipedia.

On the issues

Top priority: "Within my first year I would definitely put guard rails around Amendment 3, if it passes … With Amendments 3 & 4, the proposals for marijuana and abortion, we saw a governor take drastic measures to defeat them. I don't like any of that, and I'm pro-life. Florida needs to return to a place where the governor stayed out of the People's business, let them vote, and uphold whatever laws or Amendments the People pass," Dimanche said in our questionnaire.

Economy and cost of living: "Right now, most Americans spend a third of their income, minimum, on keeping a roof over their heads. In Maryland, and in Michigan, municipalities implemented a beautification initiative where they awarded abandoned properties to anybody in America for $1, as long as they homesteaded the property and took care of any repairs. I want to do that in Florida … I want to GIVE these homes to Floridians for free," Dimanche said.

Education: "I'd definitely like to see more funding and opportunities granted to parents who home-school their kids … And the parents are not compensated for their time invested in dedicating a portion of their home to schooling. These parents will certainly have an opportunity to fund their child's education if they choose home school," Dimanche said.

Public safety: "I led the charge to incorporate Pine Hills into its own municipality, so I have unique expertise here … A serial killer was allowed to roam Pine Hills and he took the lives of 9-year old T'Yonna Major, Natacha Augustin, and Spectrum reporter Dylan Lyons. In response to this violence, we held a town hall at Kingdom Church and I proposed incorporation to secure a law enforcement presence for Pine Hills," Dimanche said.

Key differences from opponents: "My focus is on corruption, oversight and reform … What is alarming is that my Democrat opponent opposes Amendment 3. I support it. On the Republican side, I hear a need for rampant deportations, and continuing governing Florida the way Ron DeSantis did. I oppose both," Dimanche said in our questionnaire.

The general election is Nov. 3, 2026.