Congressman Byron Donalds officially announced his candidacy for the Florida governorship in 2026, positioning himself as a key contender in the upcoming Republican primary.
During his announcement on Fox News, he emphasized his conservative credentials and outlined priorities such as stabilizing Florida’s insurance market and improving education.
“Sean, we have a wonderful state,” Donalds told Fox Host Sean Hannity. “I got to Florida when I was 17 years old, off of a Greyhound bus with just a trunk full of clothes. And over the rest of my time in Florida, I built a family, I built a career. … I was able to serve four years in a state legislature, four years in Congress. And I think now is the time to now take the mantle and lead our state into the future.”
I arrived in the Sunshine State at 17 years old on a Greyhound bus, with a trunk full of clothes and a dream.
Now is the time to keep the best state in the country as the best state in the country.
Tonight, I am proud to announce my candidacy to be the next governor of Florida. pic.twitter.com/8jUHXw8A34
— Byron Donalds (@ByronDonalds) February 26, 2025
“After a lot of prayer, a lot of thought with my family and my friends, I am here to announce my candidacy to be the next governor of the great state of Florida,” Donalds said. “We have a great governor – Ron DeSantis has done a tremendous job for our state. Now, the job is to keep the best state in the country.”
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Donalds received an endorsement from President Donald Trump just days before his announcement.
“I know Byron well, have seen him tested at the highest and most difficult levels, and he is a TOTAL WINNER” Trump wrote on Truth Social last week. “As Governor, Byron would have a BIG Voice, and would work closely with me to advance our America First Agenda.”
“Byron Donalds would be a truly Great and Powerful Governor for Florida and, should he decide to run, will have my Complete and Total Endorsement,” he also wrote in the post. “RUN, BYRON, RUN!”
This endorsement could significantly impact the race dynamics, especially with potential challengers like former Rep. Matt Gaetz and State Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson also considering runs. Florida’s current Governor Ron DeSantis, who ran against Trump in the 2024 election and has since been an advocate for the MAGA agenda, will reach the end of his second term in 2026. DeSantis has not endorsed Donalds and has instead suggested that his wife, Casey DeSantis, might emerge as a possible candidate as well.
Rather than commenting on the race, DeSantis emphasized that Florida’s representatives in Congress should be focused on implementing Trump’s agenda and enacting his policy propsals.
“They haven’t done very much yet,” DeSantis said on Monday. “They’re not putting his executive orders into place. We’ll see what they do on the spending, but we have such a narrow majority that to be trying to campaign other places and missing these votes, I think, is not something that’s advisable at all.”
The governor’s race is expected to be competitive, with notable Democratic candidates like Rep. Jared Moskowitz also on the radar hoping to flip Trump’s home state.
Connor Walcott is the lead writer for Valuetainment.com. Follow Connor on X and look for him on VT’s “The Unusual Suspects.”
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