# Byron Donalds Republican U.S. Representative for southwest Florida (FL-19) since 2021 and the **Republican nominee for Governor of Florida in 2026**, running to succeed the term-limited [[Ron DeSantis]]. A [[House Freedom Caucus]] member and one of the most visible Black MAGA figures in national politics, he served two terms in the Florida House (2016–2020) before winning his congressional seat. ## National profile Donalds became a national name during the January 2023 speaker fight, when holdouts against [[Kevin McCarthy]] nominated him as an alternative on several ballots. He was a prominent [[Donald Trump]] surrogate through the 2024 cycle. His brand blends fiscal-conservative messaging with culture-war positioning and near-constant cable-news presence. ## The 2026 governor's race Trump endorsed Donalds in 2025, before he had formally announced. That made the race a test of Trump's pull over the Florida party against the DeSantis wing. DeSantis never endorsed anyone in the primary, though he said former House Speaker Paul Renner "would be a great choice." Lt. Gov. Jay Collins, DeSantis's appointed running mate, also entered. On **August 18, 2026**, Donalds won the primary with just under half the vote (47.8% per Central Florida Public Media) against ten rivals. Collins finished a distant second and Renner further back. The newcomer James Fishback, who had drawn attention with far-right stances and racial attacks on Donalds, finished around 7% in early returns. Collins congratulated Donalds and pledged to help in the general. Donalds campaigned on a promise to "DOGE all local governments and all state agencies," borrowing the [[DOGE]] brand, and on "eliminating homestead property taxes once and for all." He also held an overwhelming money edge. His campaign had raised $13.7M by primary day and his political committee nearly $100M, roughly ten times the Democratic side. The largest single check was [[Ken Griffin]]'s $10M on July 24, 2026 (see [[Griffin 10M to Donalds Florida Governor PAC]]). He faces Democrat David Jolly, a former Republican congressman who switched parties, on **November 3, 2026**. ## Why he matters here Donalds is the clearest case of a Trump endorsement overriding a sitting governor's machine in a major state. He is also a live test of how far [[Ken Griffin]]-scale money consolidates behind a Trump-anointed candidate once the primary is settled. ## Related - [[Donald Trump]]: endorsed his 2026 bid early - [[Ron DeSantis]]: outgoing governor who stayed neutral in the primary - [[Ken Griffin]] · [[Griffin 10M to Donalds Florida Governor PAC]] - [[2026 Midterms Hub]] · [[2026 Governor Races Hub]] · [[US Governors Hub]] · [[Members of Congress Hub]]