Republican Byron Donalds wins Florida governor race, becoming state's first Black governor
Trump-endorsed Donalds defeated Democrat David Jolly in one of the most-watched US midterm races; he succeeds term-limited Ron DeSantis in January.
Key facts
Story- Republican Byron Donalds won Florida's governor race, defeating Democrat David Jolly.
- Donalds becomes the state's first Black governor and succeeds Ron DeSantis, who is termed out in January.
- Donalds was endorsed by Donald Trump and appeared at two rallies with the president in the campaign's final days.
Byron Donalds, a Republican backed by President Donald Trump, has won the race for governor of Florida. He defeated Democrat David Jolly in one of the most closely watched contests of the US midterm elections, and he will become the first Black governor in the state's history.
Donalds was endorsed by Trump. The two appeared together at rallies in the campaign's closing days, even though Donalds had earlier seemed to keep some distance from the president. Donalds had described his campaign as a continuation of the era of success under the current governor, Ron DeSantis.
DeSantis, a former Republican presidential candidate, cannot seek re-election because of term limits and will leave office in January. Donalds will take over from him. Florida is the third most populous state in the country, and DeSantis steered it further to the right during his time in office.
Donalds, a staunch Trump ally, had been positioned as the favourite for the Republican nomination for some time. His win means Republicans keep control of the governor's office in a state that has become an important battleground in national politics.
The result was reported on 4 November 2026. Vote counts and final certification details have not been fully released, and the margin of victory is not yet known.
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