With Trump’s support, Byron Donalds announces he’s running for Florida governor

Florida Congressman Byron Donalds announced Tuesday night that he will run for governor of Florida in 2026, setting up a potential clash with Florida’s current governor, Ron DeSantis, who has been talking up his wife’s chances of succeeding him when he leaves office.

“After a lot of prayer and a lot of thought with my family and my friends, I’m here to announce my candidacy to be the next governor of the great state of Florida,” Donalds, a Naples Republican, told Fox News host Sean Hannity.

Donalds, who served four years in the Florida Legislature before being elected to Congress in 2020, is running with the support of President Donald Trump. The president announced late last week that, were Donalds to campaign to succeed DeSantis, he would do so with the Trump’s endorsement.

Trump’s endorsement has proven to be a game-changer in Florida campaigns. In 2018, his decision to back DeSantis for governor helped propel the then-congressman to victory as an underdog in a competitive Republican primary.

But with DeSantis forced to leave office in early 2027 due to term limits, his wife, First Lady Casey DeSantis, has been considering a campaign to succeed him. And the governor in recent days has been talking up her chances of winning — while taking jabs at Donalds’ record.

Donalds said Tuesday night that DeSantis is a “great governor.”

“Ron DeSantis has done a tremendous job for our state. But now the job is to keep the best state in the country as the best state in the country,” Donalds said.

This story was originally published February 26, 2025 at 7:18 AM.