Byron Donalds Smacks Down Jolly To Win Florida Governor Race
While a Republican victory in Florida was widely anticipated, the actual contest proved to be a nail-biter that remained undecided until the final moments. NBC News has projected that Republican Rep. Byron Donalds has defeated Democrat David Jolly to secure the governorship. The Associated Press officially called the race after 95 percent of ballots were tallied. By 9:10 p.m. Eastern, Donalds maintained a narrow lead of 1.3 percent, a margin representing fewer than 102,000 votes between the contenders.
This outcome rewrites the record books for the Sunshine State. Donalds is set to become Florida's first Black governor. Furthermore, he marks the first time a Black Republican has won the governorship anywhere in the country. Fox News Decision Desk validated the victory on Tuesday evening, a projection also made by Decision Desk HQ. Donalds will succeed term-limited GOP Governor Ron DeSantis, assuming leadership of the nation's third most populous state.
Following the victory, Donalds shared a post on X. "I am humbled and grateful beyond measure," he stated. He pledged to reduce costs for families and promised to ensure public safety for all residents. His message continued: "We are going to invest in our young people so that they can attain the Florida Dream that all of us love so dearly." He further committed to maintaining Florida's status as a model for the rest of the nation.
The path to victory was challenging. Donalds secured nearly half the ballots in the August Republican primary, overcoming a crowded field that featured Lt. Gov. Jay Collins and former House Speaker Paul Renner. President Donald Trump endorsed Donalds in February, prior to the official start of the campaign, labeling him a MAGA champion. Leveraging this backing, Donalds won the primary decisively.
His challenger, David Jolly, is a former Republican congressman who switched to the Democratic Party in 2025 to seek the governorship. The contest featured intense personal attacks from both sides. Jolly rebutted accusations that he supported radical socialism, telling Fox News, "Byron Donalds is a liar. I've condemned socialism in the DSA [Democratic Socialists of America] hundreds of times, and he knows that." During the campaign, Donalds prioritized affordability and parental rights while attempting to court moderate voters by reducing references to Trump on his website.
Donalds aimed to increase his support among Black voters. Speaking to CBS News, he said, "I think there's a lot of Black voters who are looking at my campaign because they're just trying to figure out who's going to be the best person to lead Florida into the future." He observed a changing dynamic in how Black voters perceive the major parties. "I think the other thing with Black voters: they're starting to not be as monolithically tied to the Democrat Party." Before winning his congressional seat in 2020, he served four years in the state House.
The final tally reveals a tight race in a state that typically favors the right. Donalds captured 50 percent of the vote against Jolly's 48.7 percent. This result continues the Republican streak in Florida gubernatorial elections; no Democrat has been elected governor since 1994. Additionally, the state has not voted for a Democratic presidential candidate since 2012. Donalds is scheduled to assume office in January, succeeding DeSantis.
