Republican Byron Donalds is projected to win the race to succeed Ron DeSantis in Florida, becoming its first Black governor and extending the party’s control on the state despite a strong challenge by the Democrats.
The race was far closer than many expected in a state that has gone sharply right in recent years. DeSantis won reelection by nearly 20 percentage points in 2022 and Republicans outnumber registered Democrats by about 1.5 million voters.
With an estimated 99% of the votes counted, Donalds led Democrat David Jolly by about 50.1% to 48.7%, according to preliminary results by the Associated Press.
While Donalds touted his early endorsement from Donald Trump in 2025 at the start of his campaign, he gradually downplayed references and imagery of the US president as the leader’s approval ratings sank, while trumpeting his ties to DeSantis instead, promising continuity of policy.
While Donalds tried to hitch his wagon to DeSantis’ popularity, the outgoing governor did little to support his successor’s campaign and had a rocky relationship with Trump, whom he challenged for the presidency in 2024. DeSantis raised his profile by pushing back against pandemic-era shutdowns.
Donalds raised more than $173 million for the race with large contributions from the likes of Ken Griffin, Jeff Yass and Richard Uihlein. The Seminole Tribe of Florida, which runs casinos in the state, along with GEO Group Inc., a private prison group, and utility giant NextEra Energy Inc. were also large donors. His haul was seven times what Jolly raised. Also, Donalds spent about $82 million on campaign ads, six times Jolly, according to AdImpact.
Critics have hit Donalds hard on his ties to big tech and utility companies and over his support of data centers in Florida at a time when communities are increasingly pushing back. While he’s said projects shouldn’t drive up power bills or use up local water sources, he talks about the need to compete globally in AI and for Florida to lead.
He’s also talked about ambitious plans to build up the so-called Space Coast near Cape Canaveral where SpaceX and Blue Origin are launching more and more rockets into orbit. He envisions Florida leading on defense tech and drone production.
Originally from Brooklyn, Donalds moved to Florida for college and worked in finance before running for the Florida House of Representatives, where he was known as an advocate for expanding school choice, policies that give families alternatives to their assigned public schools. His wife Erika owns several companies in the education space with a focus on charter schools.
To address the rising cost of living in Florida, Donalds campaigned for a cut in property taxes which passed. He’s also promised to lower homeowners insurance premiums and to create an insurer scorecard to help consumers select the right plan.
Jolly, a former Republican-turned-Independent-turned-Democrat, ran on easing political infighting while attacking the root causes of skyrocketing prices around insurance, housing and healthcare. While his fundraising paled in comparison to Donalds, he won endorsements from across the country, including a campaign appearance with Bill Clinton in the final weeks of the race.