Republican Byron Donalds will win Florida’s governor race, CNN projects

By Steve Contorno

Republican Rep. Byron Donalds will be Florida’s next governor, CNN’s Decision Desk projects, and will make history as the state’s first Black leader.

Donalds defeated David Jolly, a former Republican congressman who became a Democrat last year and tried to appeal to voters as a pragmatic centrist. However, Donalds overwhelmed Jolly with a sizable spending advantage and proved that Florida remains a Republican stronghold.

Donalds’ victory puts a close ally of Donald Trump in charge of the president’s adopted home state for the final two years of his presidency and beyond. Trump endorsed Donalds early in the race, significantly shaping the GOP primary in the Sunshine State. Donalds won the four-way race for the nomination in August by a healthy margin.

Although Donalds scrubbed his website of some mentions of the president in late summer — prompting a pointed public message from Trump on social media — the two campaigned together in the closing weeks at a time when Jolly appeared within striking distance.

Donalds will succeed Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, who reached his two-term limit and declined to endorse a successor in the primary. The two had a falling out after Donalds endorsed Trump over DeSantis in the 2024 Republican presidential primary.

The-CNN-Wire
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