Republican Rep. Byron Donalds introduced Tuesday that he is coming into the 2026 race to succeed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who’s ineligible to hunt one other time period after eight years in workplace.
Donalds enters the race with President Donald Trump‘s endorsement. Donalds has been a frequent Trump surrogate and was on the shortlist to be his vice presidential working mate final yr.
DeSantis, who can’t run once more on account of time period limits and unsuccessfully tried a presidential bid in opposition to Trump final yr, has not but made any official endorsement for his successor.
Simply earlier than Donalds’ announcement, DeSantis prompt that his spouse, Casey DeSantis, can be a worthy governor and mentioned Donalds was not part of his victories on conservative priorities.
Donalds highlights conservative file, coverage priorities
Donalds praised the governor Tuesday, saying he had accomplished a “large job for our state.” Talking to Sean Hannity on Fox News, Donalds didn’t instantly tackle the hypothesis a few Casey DeSantis run however famous his Trump endorsement and his file in elected workplace.
“For a very long time, I have been within the trenches, in a number of these battles, coping with conservatism,” he added, saying he would prioritize decreasing insurance coverage prices, selling the cryptocurrency business, and preserving the waterways of the Everglades, the biggest subtropical wilderness within the U.S.
The 46-year-old Donalds, who lives in Naples in southwest Florida, was born and raised in Brooklyn. He graduated from Florida State College.
He was working as a monetary adviser when then-Gov. Rick Scott appointed him to the board of trustees at a state faculty, cementing his rise within the state GOP.
Going through potential GOP rivals, however Trump’s assist looms massive
He entered the Florida Home in 2016, gained a seat within the U.S. Home in 2020, and has been on the quick listing for a number of alternatives ever since, together with being nominated in January 2023 by the far-right wing as a candidate for Home speaker.
After Trump’s endorsement, Donalds indicated that he would make an announcement quickly and mentioned he was “dedicated to working with him to Hold Florida Nice.” In a speech on the Conservative Political Motion Convention on Feb. 21, Donalds mentioned Trump has known as him to speak to him about working.
“Florida isn’t going to cease main,” Donalds mentioned. “We’ll construct off of what we have accomplished, and we’re going to proceed to guide larger, higher, quicker, larger, safer, freer, as a result of the American dream is for everyone, and we will present the opposite 49 states find out how to get it accomplished.”
Along with Casey DeSantis, different potential GOP candidates embrace former U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz, who mentioned in January that he was contemplating a run, and Florida Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson, although he just lately fought with DeSantis over immigration insurance policies.
However Trump’s endorsement could clear the best way for Donalds given his dominance in Republican politics, significantly in his adopted house state. Trump established residency in Palm Seaside throughout his first time period.
“Byron Donalds can be a very Nice and Highly effective Governor for Florida and, ought to he determine to run, could have my Full and Complete Endorsement,” the president posted Thursday on his social media web site. “RUN, BYRON, RUN!”
Historic candidacy and give attention to training reform
One of many state’s most high-profile Black Republicans, Donalds would change into the primary African American to function governor if he wins.
Donalds and his spouse, Erika Donalds, constructed a fame for working to rework public training and direct extra taxpayer {dollars} into personal and constitution faculties. A former county faculty board member, she runs an organization that oversees constitution faculties and a digital academy.
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