# FL-Gov — 2026 Florida Governor's Race Florida's governorship is open in 2026 because [[Ron DeSantis]] is term-limited. Republican Rep. [[Byron Donalds]], endorsed early by [[Donald Trump]], faces **David Jolly**, a former Republican congressman now running as a Democrat. Every major forecaster rated the race **Lean Republican**. Republicans have controlled Florida's government since 1999, no Democrat has won any statewide race since 2018, and none has won a four-year term as governor since Lawton Chiles in 1994. ## Result > [!success] Called: Byron Donalds (R) wins > The Associated Press projected on election night, November 3, 2026, that Republican Rep. [[Byron Donalds]] defeated Democrat David Jolly, keeping the governorship Republican. He will be the first Black governor in Florida's history. Vote totals are unofficial until Florida certifies the result. Source: [Associated Press](https://apnews.com/live/midterm-election-2026#000001a1-a451-db3e-a7bd-fff3572e0000). Live coverage: [[2026 Midterms Live - Election Results War Room]]. ## The candidates **Byron Donalds (Republican)** served four years in the Florida House before winning a Naples-area congressional seat in 2020, and voted against certifying the 2020 Electoral College result in January 2021. Trump's early endorsement helped him consolidate the party's establishment and raise about $111 million across his campaign and political committee, far more than any rival. He won the August 18, 2026 primary with 47.9 percent, ahead of Lt. Gov. Jay Collins at 25.1 percent. DeSantis endorsed no one in the primary. The Tampa Bay Times notes that Donalds would be the first Black governor in Florida's history. His running mate is Bryan Avila. **David Jolly (Democrat)** represented the Tampa Bay area in Congress as a Republican from 2014 to 2017. He broke publicly with his party in 2018, stayed an independent, and registered as a Democrat in 2025 shortly before announcing for governor. He describes himself as a centrist building a coalition of Democrats, disaffected Republicans and independents. He won the Democratic primary with 61.0 percent. His running mate is former Democratic Rep. Gwen Graham. A Libertarian, Scott Jewett, and several candidates with no party affiliation are also on the ballot. ## The numbers before Election Day - **Ratings:** Cook Political Report, Inside Elections and Sabato's Crystal Ball all rated it Lean Republican. - **Registration:** Republicans outnumber Democrats among registered voters by about 1.5 million (WLRN). - **Polls:** most late-October public polls on Ballotpedia's list had Donalds ahead by 2 to 9 points, among them Stetson University 51–45 (Oct. 26–30), Siena 48–44 (Oct. 19–25) and the University of North Florida 49–47 (Oct. 12–19). ## Why it's on the map Republicans held 26 of the 50 governorships going into the election, so Democrats need a net gain of two for a majority, which they last won in 2006 (Associated Press). Florida is one of the seats Republicans are defending. A Jolly win in a state Republicans have dominated for a generation would be one of the clearest signs of a Democratic wave. ## Sources - [Ballotpedia: Florida gubernatorial election, 2026](https://ballotpedia.org/Florida_gubernatorial_election,_2026) - [WLRN: David Jolly wins Democratic nomination, will face Byron Donalds (Aug. 18, 2026)](https://www.wlrn.org/government-politics/2026-08-18/david-jolly-governors-race-florida) - [Tampa Bay Times via Dayton Daily News: Donalds, Jolly win set up historic Florida governor race](https://www.daytondailynews.com/donalds-jolly-win-set-up-historic-florida-governor-race/article_351a421a-8113-5b67-807f-2ae02695ff8d.html) - [Associated Press via PBS NewsHour: Democrats try to take majority of governors' offices (Nov. 3, 2026)](https://pbs.org/newshour/politics/democrats-try-to-take-majority-of-governors-offices-for-first-time-in-two-decades) - [NPR: the 36 races for governor](https://apps.npr.org/primary-election-results-2026/governors.html) ## Connections - [[2026 Governor Races Hub]] - [[Byron Donalds]] · [[Ron DeSantis]] - [[2026 Midterms Live - Election Results War Room]]