Rep. Byron Donalds has become the first Black politician elected governor of Florida, winning Tuesday’s race, according to an election projection. He is also the first Black Republican elected governor in U.S. history.
Donalds, a three-term congressman from southwest Florida, defeated former Democratic Rep. David Jolly in a close contest. He will succeed Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, who could not seek another term, and lead the country’s third-most populous state.
In a statement after the win, Donalds said he was deeply grateful and pledged to focus on affordability, public safety and opportunities for young people. He said he would work to preserve Florida’s appeal and help the state reach greater heights.
Building on DeSantis’ conservative agenda was central to Donalds’ campaign. Former President Donald Trump endorsed him in February of last year, before Donalds formally entered the race. Donalds announced his candidacy during a television appearance.
With Trump’s backing, Donalds won nearly half the vote in Florida’s August Republican primary, beating a crowded field that included Lt. Gov. Jay Collins, former state House Speaker Paul Renner and business executive James Fishback.
In late September, some references to Trump disappeared from Donalds’ campaign website, drawing attention as the former president’s approval ratings continued to fall.
Born in New York City, Donalds moved to Florida for college and later worked in finance, insurance and banking. He was once a Democrat, then joined the Republican Party in 2010 during the Tea Party movement. He won election to the Florida House in 2016, served two terms and later went to Congress.
Jolly, a Florida native, worked as an adviser to then-Rep. Bill Young, as well as a lawyer and lobbyist. He won a special election to Congress in 2014 and secured a full term later that year, but lost his re-election bid in 2016.
After leaving Congress, Jolly became a prominent critic of Trump and a political commentator. He left the Republican Party in 2018, joined the Democratic Party last year and then launched his campaign for governor.
During the race, Donalds repeatedly accused Jolly of embracing “radical socialism.” Jolly rejected the charge, saying he had condemned socialism many times and calling Donalds a liar.
Florida was once the country’s largest general-election battleground, but it has moved to the right over the past decade. DeSantis won re-election in 2022 by nearly 20 points, and Trump carried the state by 13 points in 2024.
Republicans have about 1.5 million more registered voters than Democrats in Florida. Still, Democrats have become more competitive as Republicans face a difficult political climate.
