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

Asked why he is seeking office, 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'm in this race to put an end to corruption once and for all."

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 Ballotpedia.

Candidate information

Party: No Party Preference. Dimanche said in our questionnaire: "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."

Family: Dimanche said in our questionnaire: "I have a ton of brothers, and no sisters. My father was deported to Haiti in 1988 and I don't really know him. … We have 3 sons. My oldest son, Caleb is a 6th grader at Discovery Middle School, and we have 5-year-old identical twins."

Education: Dimanche said in our questionnaire: "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."

Experience and public service

Asked about his occupation, Dimanche said in our questionnaire: "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 has never held public office. He said in our questionnaire: "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."

He filed his gubernatorial candidacy on June 26, 2024, and qualified on June 10, 2026, according to the Florida Division of Elections.

In 2007, at age 19, Dimanche received a 10-year prison sentence for theft of construction materials, serving 8.5 years, according to Wikipedia. His Redemption series, a portfolio of prison drawings, 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: Dimanche said in our questionnaire: "Within my first year I would definitely put guard rails around Amendment 3, if it passes. … I want Floridians to trust the government again, so I expect to safe guard everything they do, and then move on to my agenda for accountability and ending public corruption."

Economy and cost of living: Dimanche said in our questionnaire: "In Orlando, the city acquired 300 abandoned properties to repurpose for affordable housing, but I want to GIVE these homes to Floridians for free. We already give them to mortgage companies and HOAs for pennies. Why not give them to the People?"

Public safety: Dimanche said in our questionnaire: "I led the charge to incorporate Pine Hills into its own municipality, so I have unique expertise here. … I proposed incorporation to secure a law enforcement presence for Pine Hills because relying on county resources in unincorporated communities is a recipe for disaster."

Running as an independent: Dimanche said in our questionnaire: "[T]he 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. I'm asking Floridians to start with me."