Rep. Byron Donalds has won the Republican nomination for Florida governor, cruising to victory Tuesday night over a field of 10 opponents. Donalds, who received an endorsement from former President Donald Trump, secured 49% of the vote, significantly outpacing Lt. Gov. Jay Collins, who garnered 24.7%.
Donalds had been the frontrunner in the race, consistently leading his challengers by more than 30 percentage points in polls since October. Term-limited Gov. Ron DeSantis did not endorse any candidate in the primary.
The race saw notable controversy, particularly from far-right candidate James Fishback, who finished a distant third with 10.1% of the vote. Fishback made inflammatory remarks during the campaign, accusing Donalds of wanting to turn Florida into a "Section 8 ghetto" and suggesting armed civilians could quell teen violence. Fishback also attacked Donalds' pro-Israel stance, referring to him as "AIPAC Shakur" and a "token black."
Donalds largely ignored Fishback's remarks, stating, "If you want to be ignorant, you're allowed to be." Fishback, 31, also faced scrutiny over his personal conduct, including an alleged inappropriate relationship with a minor student that led a Florida school district to cut ties with him in 2022.
With over $100 million raised for his campaign and supporting committees, Donalds is positioned to challenge Democratic nominee David Jolly in the general election. Jolly, a former U.S. House representative, switched parties, leaving the Republican Party in 2018 and later joining the Forward Party before registering as a Democrat in 2025 to pursue the governorship.
If elected, Donalds would become Florida's first Black governor and the state's fifth consecutive Republican chief executive. The last Democrat to hold the office was Buddy MacKay, who left office in January 1999.