Trump-Backed Candidate vs. Former Republican: Florida to Decide Its Future in November

Byron Donalds is promising to deepen the conservative agenda backed by Trump, while David Jolly is trying to return Democrats to a governor’s office they have not controlled since 1999.

Republican Byron Donalds and Democrat David Jolly won their respective primaries and will face each other on November 3 for the Florida governorship, in an election offering two very different political paths for the state.

• Why it matters: Donalds is seeking to continue and deepen Florida’s conservative direction, while Jolly, a former Republican and Trump critic, is trying to secure the first Democratic victory for governor in more than two decades.

Byron Donalds Heads Into November With Trump’s Endorsement

Donalds, a 48-year-old U.S. congressman, won the Republican primary with the backing of President Donald Trump, defeating, among others, Lt. Gov. Jay Collins and James Fishback.

According to results published by NBC News with about 99% of the expected vote counted, Donalds received 47.8%, compared with Collins’ 25.2% and Fishback’s 10.5%.

• The key figure: Donalds received 810,675 votes in the Republican primary, according to NBC News.
• What he proposes: He has pledged to advance Trump’s hard-line immigration policies, along with tax cuts and deregulation.

Trump believes Donalds will help implement his “America First” agenda in Florida. A victory would also carry historic significance: Donalds would become the state’s first Black governor.

David Jolly Left the Republican Party After Breaking With Trump

On the other side of the Florida governor election 2026 will be David Jolly, who served as a Republican congressman from 2014 to 2017 before distancing himself from the party.

Jolly left the Republican Party in 2018 over his criticism of Trump’s first presidency and is now seeking to reclaim the governor’s office for Democrats, who have not won it since 1998, when Buddy MacKay lost the election that brought Jeb Bush to power in January 1999.

In the Democratic primary, Jolly received 61% of the vote, according to NBC News, far ahead of Dayna Foster at 15.1% and Dotie Joseph at 9.6%.

• The difference: The race pits a Trump ally against a politician who left the Republican Party specifically because of his disagreements with the president.

Republicans Enter the Race With an Advantage Among Registered Voters

Jolly will face a difficult race in a state that was considered a crucial battleground for both parties for years but now has a clear Republican advantage among registered voters.

According to Florida Department of State data cited by EFE, there are more than 5.5 million registered Republicans compared with 4.04 million Democrats, out of a total electorate of 13.42 million voters.

• By the numbers: Registered Republicans outnumber Democrats by approximately 1.46 million.
• The challenge: Jolly must compete in a state where the Democratic Party has not controlled the governor’s office since 1999.

Hispanic Vote Could Play a Major Role in the Florida Governor Election 2026

Immigration could become one of the central issues of the campaign, especially because nearly three in 10 Florida residents are Hispanic, according to information reported by EFE.

Donalds has pledged to keep Florida at the forefront of Trump’s hard-line immigration agenda, while Jolly represents the possibility of a change in party control of the state government.

• What’s next: The two candidates will face each other in the November 3 general election.
• What’s at stake: Voters will decide between deepening the conservative direction of recent years or pursuing a political shift with a former Republican turned Democratic candidate.

November will test whether Florida maintains and deepens the conservative direction backed by Trump or opens the door to political change with Jolly.

In a state where Republicans hold an advantage among registered voters and Hispanics make up a significant share of the population, the race to succeed Ron DeSantis will be one of the key contests of the general election.

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SOURCE: NBC News / EFE