Republican U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds announced his plans to run for governor of Florida in 2026 Tuesday night on Fox News.
Donald’s gubernatorial bid has been endorsed by President Donald Trump. If successful Donalds, 46, would become the first Black governor of Florida.
Before being elected to Congress in 2020, Donalds spent four years in the Florida House, the last two coinciding with Gov. Ron DeSantis’ first two years as governor. Although the two were considered allies at that time, their relationship appeared to change after Donalds endorsed Trump over DeSantis for president in 2023 and became a major surrogate for the Trump campaign.
At a press conference in Tampa earlier this week DeSantis said he intends to raise campaign contributions for the Republican gubernatorial candidate of his choice and floated First Lady Casey DeSantis as a possible candidate. DeSantis recounted an anecdote from a dinner in Palm Beach County a few years ago between himself, Casey, and former conservative icon Rush Limbaugh (who died in 2021).
“At the end of the dinner he put his finger in my chest and said. ‘The only person I would rather have as my governor than you is her.’ And he pointed to [Casey]. And I was like, ‘That’s a pretty good endorsement there.’”