Republican Rep. Byron Donalds was elected Florida's first Black governor on Tuesday, defeating Democratic nominee David Jolly in a race that was seen as unexpectedly competitive down the stretch, and will succeed outgoing Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis.
The race presented a test of whether President Donald Trump's unpopularity, which has dragged down Republicans across the U.S., would extend to his backyard and endanger an office that a Democrat has not won in more than 30 years.
Florida spent a generation as America's prized political battleground, where elections were often decided by fractions of a percentage point. That reputation faded under DeSantis, who won his first race in 2018 by less than half a percentage point but was re-elected in 2022 by a nearly 20-point margin after leaning into culture wars centered on race and gender, including signing legislation often labeled by critics as "Don't Say Gay" that bars instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten through the third grade.
Jolly, a former Republican congressman who switched parties, ran a centrist campaign. Donalds sought to define him as an out-of-touch liberal and reached out to Black voters, who traditionally side with Democrats. The campaign also centered on high prices and the cost of homeowners insurance, a particularly salient issue in a state with a history of being ravaged by hurricanes.
Jolly faced steep hurdles in his effort to lead the party's rebound. Republicans hold a roughly 1.5 million voter registration advantage, and Donalds dominated him in fundraising. Jolly campaigned in Democratic strongholds such as Broward County, along with traditionally Republican parts of central Florida and the state's Panhandle. Donalds, for his part, maintained a steady confidence throughout the campaign, balancing his support for Trump with efforts to create some distance, including minimizing references to the president on his website.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- Florida has not elected a Democratic governor in more than 30 years, and Donalds' victory extends that run while making him the state's first Black governor.
- The race was seen as a test of whether President Trump's unpopularity would hurt Republicans outside Washington, and the result suggests it did not cost the party the governor's mansion in his adopted home state.
- Voters named high prices and homeowners insurance as central concerns, setting the agenda for the incoming administration in a state repeatedly hit by hurricanes.
Background
Florida was for a generation the nation's premier swing state, with elections often decided by fractions of a percentage point. Under DeSantis, the state moved sharply to the right: after a narrow first win in 2018, he was re-elected by a nearly 20-point margin in 2022, and Republicans now hold a large voter registration advantage. Donalds succeeds him as the state's first Black governor.
Key Perspectives
Byron Donalds: campaigned as a supporter of President Trump while creating some distance, including minimizing references to the president on his website, and sought to define David Jolly as an out-of-touch liberal.
David Jolly: a former Republican congressman who switched parties, ran a centrist campaign and worked to rebuild Democratic support in strongholds such as Broward County and in traditionally Republican parts of central Florida and the Panhandle.
Critics of Florida's education law: label the legislation "Don't Say Gay," which bars instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten through the third grade.
What to Watch
- How Donalds balances loyalty to President Trump with the distance he created on the campaign trail.
- Whether Democrats can rebuild in Florida after a campaign that left them facing a large voter registration deficit.
- What the new governor does on homeowners insurance and the cost of living, the issues the campaign centered on.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 12 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedByron Donalds became Florida’s first Black governor.OPB: “Republican Rep. Byron Donalds was elected Florida’s first Black governor on Tuesday”
- SupportedDonalds was elected on Tuesday, defeating Democratic nominee David Jolly.OPB: “Republican Rep. Byron Donalds was elected Florida’s first Black governor on Tuesday in a race that was seen as unexpectedly competitive down the stretch, defeating Democratic nominee David Jolly.”
- SupportedThe race was seen as unexpectedly competitive down the stretch.OPB: “in a race that was seen as unexpectedly competitive down the stretch”
- SupportedDonalds will succeed outgoing Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis.OPB: “Donalds will succeed outgoing Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis”
- SupportedThe race tested whether Trump’s unpopularity, which had dragged down Republicans across the US, would extend to Florida and endanger the governorship.OPB: “The race presented a test of whether Trump’s unpopularity, which has dragged down Republicans across the U.S., would extend to his backyard and endanger an office in Florida”
- SupportedA Democrat had not won Florida’s governorship in more than 30 years.OPB: “an office in Florida that a Democrat hasn’t won in more than 30 years.”
- SupportedDeSantis won his first race in 2018 by less than half a percentage point.OPB: “who won his first race in 2018 by less than half a percentage point.”
- SupportedDeSantis was re-elected in 2022 by a nearly 20-point margin.OPB: “By the time he ran for reelection in 2022, DeSantis won in a nearly 20-point landslide”
- SupportedThe legislation was often labeled by critics as “Don’t Say Gay” and bars instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity from kindergarten through third grade.OPB: “signing, for instance, legislation often labeled by critics as “Don’t Say Gay” that bars instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten through the third grade.”
- SupportedJolly was a former Republican congressman who switched parties.OPB: “Jolly is a former Republican congressman who switched parties”
- SupportedRepublicans had a roughly 1.5 million voter-registration advantage.OPB: “Republicans have a roughly 1.5 million voter registration advantage”
- SupportedDonalds had a fundraising advantage over Jolly.OPB: “Donalds dominated Jolly in fundraising.”