Congressman Byron Donalds officially announced his bid for Florida governor on Tuesday, a week after receiving a strong endorsement from President Donald Trump.
His candidacy could set the stage for a potential showdown between Trump and the current Florida governor, Ron DeSantis, who was promoting his wife, Casey, as a candidate, Bloomberg reported.
Byron Donalds eyes Florida’s future
In an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity, Donalds emphasized Trump’s support, assuring that he would not disappoint the president’s supporters.
“Sean, we have a wonderful state,” Donalds said, as per the New York Post. “I got to Florida when I was 17 years old, off of a Greyhound bus with just a trunk full of clothes. And over the rest of my time in Florida, I built a family, I built a career.”
“I was able to serve four years in the state legislature, four years in Congress. And I think now is the time to now take the mantle and lead our state into the future.”
Donalds, who grew up in Brooklyn and was elected to the U.S. House in 2020, expressed his vision of making Florida a global financial center. He also signaled plans to attract more financial firms to the state, following the trend of businesses relocating there in recent years.
The 46-year-old suggested that Florida should lead in cryptocurrency, mentioning the possibility of including it in the state’s financial portfolio. Furthermore, he promised to address rising insurance costs, acknowledging that Florida faced significant challenges in that area.
Ron DeSantis backs wife Casey for 2026
Since DeSantis cannot run again in 2026 due to term limits, he has promoted his wife, Casey DeSantis, as the potential candidate.
“Anything we’ve accomplished, she’d be able to take to the next level,” DeSantis said, MSNBC reported. “She’s never angled for anything but I will tell you this: You’re talking about somebody like her — I won by the biggest margin that any Republican’s won a governor’s race here in Florida. She would do better than me.”
DeSantis went on to criticize Donalds, questioning his contributions to Florida’s recent successes. He suggested that Donalds had not been involved in the state’s victories over political opponents in recent years.
His comments marked a clear contrast to Trump’s strong endorsement, which could disrupt the current uneasy peace between the two.
In spite of Trump publicly encouraging Donalds to run for governor, Casey remains a powerful potential contender.
A recent University of North Florida poll showed that she has higher favorability ratings than any other possible Republican candidate.
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