Republican Candidate Threatens to Ban Palantir from Florida Contracts

Fishback says he would block data firm from state and local government deals over civil liberty concerns.

Published on Feb. 21, 2026

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A Republican candidate for Florida governor has threatened to bar the software giant Palantir from doing business with state and local governments over civil liberty concerns, after the company revealed that it had shifted its headquarters to Miami.

Why it matters

While Palantir has no reported contracts with Florida's state or local governments, the company has established itself as a major federal contractor, providing data-aggregation and -analytics services to the Department of Defense and numerous civilian agencies. This cooperation has expanded significantly since the beginning of President Donald Trump's second term, and its domestic activities have sparked criticism from some who believe this has contributed to expanded government surveillance of U.S. citizens.

The details

In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Tuesday, the $300 billion company listed a Florida location as its principal address, and later announced via X that it had shifted its headquarters to Miami, Florida. The company was previously based in Denver, Colorado, having moved from Palo Alto, California in 2020. While the company did not outline what had prompted the move, this comes as a growing number of tech firms and other businesses have relocated to Florida, as well as after protests in Colorado over Palantir's work with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and its support for the Israeli military.

  • On Tuesday, Palantir announced it had moved its headquarters from Denver to Miami.
  • In November, James Fishback announced his candidacy to replace the term-limited Ron DeSantis as Florida's governor.

The players

James Fishback

A Republican candidate for Florida governor who has threatened to bar Palantir from doing business with state and local governments over civil liberty concerns.

Palantir

A data analytics giant that has moved its headquarters from Denver to Miami.

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What they’re saying

“Florida's next government must protect the constitutional rights of every single citizen in our state, which is why if elected Florida Governor, I would ban Palantir from doing business with state and local government.”

— James Fishback, Republican Candidate for Florida Governor (X)

“As Governor, I will ban you from all government contracts. You are a threat to our civil liberties.”

— James Fishback, Republican Candidate for Florida Governor (X)

“Obviously, what I would be looking to is, does it affect any jobs here in Colorado? It's not clear whether a headquarters move would or wouldn't affect that.”

— Jared Polis, Colorado Governor (Press Conference)

What’s next

According to a number of recent polls compiled by 270toWin, Fishback continues to trail the frontrunner, Representative Byron Donalds, whom the prediction market Kalshi gives a 78 percent chance of emerging as the Republican candidate. Primary elections are scheduled for mid-August, with the gubernatorial election taking place on November 3.

The takeaway

This case highlights the growing tensions between tech companies like Palantir and politicians concerned about the potential for their data-driven technologies to be used for expanded government surveillance of citizens. It raises questions about the balance between national security and civil liberties, and the role of state and local governments in regulating the activities of large technology firms.