Byron Donalds Projected as Florida's First Black Governor

Republican Representative Byron Donalds is projected to become Florida's first Black governor after defeating Democratic candidate David Jolly in Tuesday's election. The 47-year-old Miami-Dade lawmaker will succeed Governor Ron DeSantis, who is ineligible to run for another term after serving eight years.

Donalds announced his bid for the top executive post in February. He entered the primary race with the endorsement of President Donald Trump. The president had previously considered Donalds for the vice presidential position in the 2024 campaign. Donalds has served as a frequent surrogate for the president since then.

Before politics, Donalds worked in finance as a credit analyst and portfolio manager. He was first elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 2016. He moved to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2021, representing a district in Miami-Dade County.

His campaign platform focuses on economic issues. He promises to push for tax cuts and overhaul state insurance regulations to lower costs for consumers. He also plans to seek greater price transparency from health care providers.

"Affordability is a problem for all Floridians. It doesn’t matter what your politics are. It doesn’t matter what the color of your skin is," Donalds said.

Donalds is the third elected Black governor in U.S. history, joining a small group of predecessors. His victory consolidates Republican control ahead of the November general election. The result follows DeSantis's narrow win in 2018, which came with a margin of 32,000 votes out of 8.1 million cast.