Republican Byron Donalds defeated Democrat David Jolly to become Florida's first Black governor, following the term-limited tenure of Ron DeSantis.
Republican Byron Donalds has been elected to be Florida's next governor, defeating Democrat David Jolly in a tight race to replace Ron DeSantis, according to a race call by the Associated Press.
Donalds secured 50% of the vote, while Jolly secured 48.7%, according to Gulf Coast News Now. Donalds, who is 48, won the race with the backing of President Donald Trump and a sizable campaign finance war chest that reached $130 million, according to NBC News.
Throughout the campaign, Donalds emphasized affordability issues, including inflation, housing, and insurance. He also supported eliminating property taxes on homesteaded properties and expanding school choice. His education proposals include literacy support, paid apprenticeships, and student fitness plans.
Jolly, 54, campaigned on a "believe in better" slogan, focusing on affordability issues such as housing, inflation, gas prices, and the boom in AI data centers. Jolly, a former Republican congressman who switched to the Democratic Party last year, also proposed major changes to the state's property insurance system and restrictions on new data centers. He referred to Donalds as "data center Donalds" due to the candidate taking campaign contributions from industry players.
Donalds has served in Congress since 2021, representing Florida's 19th Congressional District, which includes Naples, Fort Myers, and surrounding Southwest Florida communities. Before entering Congress, he served in the Florida House of Representatives from 2016 to 2020. Born in Brooklyn, New York, he attended Florida State University, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in finance and marketing. He previously worked in the finance, insurance, and banking industries.
Jolly has spent much of his career as a lawyer, lobbyist, and television political analyst. He served in Congress as a Republican before leaving the party in 2018.
Donalds will succeed Ron DeSantis, who was term-limited and could not run again. Donalds promised to continue the conservative policies of the outgoing governor. While DeSantis has a higher approval rating than Trump in Florida, the two have had an "icy relationship," according to NBC News, and DeSantis did not endorse Donalds in the open GOP primary.
Donalds' victory extends the Republican Party's nearly three-decade run of dominance in the Florida Governor's Mansion. The state has not elected a Democratic governor since 1994.
In other Florida races, Republican Ashley Moody was projected to hold her seat in the Senate. She was up against Democrat Angie Nixon in the special election for the Senate seat previously held by Marco Rubio.
Donalds' victory carries national significance as he is set to become the first Black Republican elected governor in U.S. history. While three Black governors have been elected nationwide previously, all were Democrats.
Sources
This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.
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