OAN Staff Abril Elfi
11:20 AM – Wednesday, February 26, 2025
Republican Representative Byron Donalds has announced his intention to run for Florida’s gubernatorial position.
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On Tuesday, Donalds (R-Fla.) said in an interview on Fox News’ “Hannity” program that he has decided to run in the next Florida gubernatorial election — set for November 3rd, 2026.
Donalds has already been endorsed by President Donald Trump, who wrote that he would be a “truly Great and Powerful Governor for Florida.”
Donalds noted that he came to the decision to run “after a lot of prayer [and] a lot of thoughts with my family and my friends.”
“Sean, we have a wonderful state,” Donalds said. “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,” he continued.
Donalds went on to thank Governor Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.) for his service to the Sunshine State — despite DeSantis taking shots at him this week.
While speaking about Donalds, DeSantis said: “A guy like Byron, he just hasn’t been a part of any of the victories that we’ve had here over the left over these last years… He’s just not been a part of it. He’s been in other states campaigning doing that and that’s fine, but OK, then deliver results up there.”
Nevertheless, Donalds still thanked the current Florida governor for all that he has done.
“We have a great governor. Ron DeSantis has done a tremendous job for our state,” Donalds said. “But now the job is to keep the best state in the country as the best state in the country. And so that’s going to be the mission at hand. And I’m excited to announce my candidacy with you tonight.”
Donalds is the only confirmed candidate in the governor’s race so far.
However, some reports in early February claimed that Governor DeSantis’ wife, Casey DeSantis, was considering throwing her “hat in the ring” as well.
“This has always been in the plans. She’s as ambitious as he is,” according to sources close to Casey.
“They’ve always seen themselves as a new emerging political power couple. She is considering a [gubernatorial] run and is talking to a lot of different people about the possibilities. She wants it very much.”
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