Rep. Byron Donalds has won Florida’s gubernatorial election, according to a projection by the Fox News Decision Desk. The three-term Republican congressman defeated Democratic nominee David Jolly in what Fox described as a close race.
Donalds’ projected victory marks two historic firsts: He is the first Black politician to win a gubernatorial election in Florida and the first Black Republican elected governor in the United States. He is expected to succeed Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is barred from seeking another term because of term limits.
In a victory statement posted to X, Donalds said he was grateful and pledged to work on affordability, public safety and investment in young people. He also said he would seek to preserve Florida’s standing and build on what he called the “Florida Dream.”
Donalds campaigned on continuing and extending DeSantis’ conservative agenda. President Donald Trump endorsed him in February 2025, before Donalds formally entered the race. Donalds later announced his candidacy during an appearance on Fox News’ “Hannity.”
In Florida’s August Republican primary, Donalds received nearly half the vote, according to the source account. He finished ahead of a crowded field that included Lt. Gov. Jay Collins, former Florida House Speaker Paul Renner and business executive James Fishback.
Jolly, a Florida native and former Republican congressman, entered the race as a Democrat. Before his election to the House, he worked as a lawyer and lobbyist and served as an adviser to then-Rep. Bill Young. Jolly won a special election in March 2014 and a full term later that year, then lost his re-election bid in 2016. After leaving Congress, he became a vocal critic of Trump and a political commentator. He left the Republican Party in 2018 and became a Democrat in 2025, according to the source.
The campaign featured competing arguments over socialism. Donalds repeatedly accused Jolly of embracing what he called “radical socialism.” Jolly rejected the charge in an interview with Fox News, saying he had condemned socialism many times and accusing Donalds of lying.
Donalds was born in New York City and moved to Florida for college. Before entering politics, he worked in finance, insurance and banking. He was previously a Democrat and became a Republican in 2010 during the Tea Party movement. He was elected to the Florida House in 2016 and served two terms before winning election to Congress.
Florida’s political landscape has moved to the right over the past decade, the source reported. DeSantis won re-election in 2022 by nearly 20 percentage points, and Trump carried Florida by 13 points in the 2024 presidential election. Republicans also held an advantage of roughly 1.5 million registered voters over Democrats. The account said Democrats were nevertheless competitive in the state amid a difficult political climate for Republicans.
