Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., appears to be becoming more vocal about running for Florida governor in 2026 in the race to succeed term-limited Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Donalds, a prominent friend, ally and supporter of President-elect Trump in the House, in recent days told potential donors and political players in Florida that he intends to run for governor, Republican sources confirmed to Fox News.
Some of those conversations took place last weekend in Orlando during the Florida Republican Party’s annual meeting.
“He’s serious,” an informed source told Fox News.
What Byron Donalds said on Fox News on Sunday
Another sign came a week ago when Donalds hired prominent Republican polling research firm Tony Fabrizio. Fabrizio was a top pollster for Trump’s 2016 and 2024 presidential campaigns.
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The former conservative state lawmaker who represented parts of Southwest Florida’s 19th District in Congress for four years has been eyeing a potential bid for governor for months.
“I’ve thought about it. I’m not really ruling anything out,” Donalds said in an interview with Fox News Digital last spring when asked about a possible run for governor.
Rep. Byron Donalds, Republican of Florida. (Fox News Digital/Paul Steinhauser/File)
Donalds, who was one of Trump’s top campaign surrogates last year, was interviewed just days after Trump suggested, at a closed-door fundraiser in New York City, that if Donalds ran for governor of Florida in 2026, he would have “a lot of friends in… “Race.”
“It’s really great that people back home in Florida consider me to be able to be the next governor of the state. It’s really a huge honor. It’s honestly surreal to think about that because I’m 45 years old and my journey in politics has been really fruitful,” Donalds said. at that time. “It’s really humbling and an honor, but I’m just focused on doing the job at hand.”
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Another prominent Florida Republican believed to be considering a run is state Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson, the former president of the state Senate.
Former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., who was Trump’s first choice for attorney general in his second administration before withdrawing amid the controversy, said he is also considering a run.
Rep. Byron Donalds, Republican of Florida, speaks during the Republican National Convention on July 15, 2024. (Reuters/Mike Segar)
Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody is also believed to be considering a run to succeed DeSantis, her ally in Tallahassee, but the governor on Thursday named Moody to succeed Sen. Marco Rubio, Trump’s nominee for secretary of state, who is likely to be one of the president-elect’s first Cabinet picks to be confirmed. By the Senate.
Florida’s chief financial officer, Jimmy Patronis, who is also believed to be interested in a potential gubernatorial campaign, is considered the front-runner in a special congressional election this month to fill Gaetz’s seat.
“With Modi going to the Senate, if he chooses to run for governor, Donalds will be the favorite over Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson, who is being picked by the Tallahassee establishment,” Fabrizio said. “We’ll see if the Tallahassee organization improves after betting and losing badly in 2010 vs [former two-term governor and current Sen.] Rick Scott and in 2018 against Ron DeSantis.”
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With Florida, once a major battleground state, turning solidly red, the state’s slowly emerging gubernatorial battle may be decided by Trump, the GOP’s kingmaker in his home state of Florida and across the country, who may support him. in the end.
But a potential endorsement by DeSantis in the race to succeed governor should not be discounted.