President Donald Trump is making it very clear whom he would help within the blockbuster 2026 gubernatorial race to succeed term-limited Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
“I’m listening to that Extremely Revered Congressman Byron Donalds is contemplating working for Governor of Florida, a State that I really like, and WON BIG in 2016, 2020, and 2024,” Trump, a Florida resident, wrote in a social media publish on Thursday.
And the president emphasised that Donalds, a longtime Trump pal, ally and supporter, “could be a really Nice and Highly effective Governor for Florida.”
Trump added that Donalds, “ought to he determine to run, can have my Full and Whole Endorsement. RUN, BYRON, RUN!”
WHAT BYRON DONALDS SAID ON FOX NEWS SUNDAY
Byron Donalds speaks contained in the Capital One enviornment at an occasion for President Donald Trump, on the inauguration day of Trump’s second presidential time period, in Washington D.C., on January 20, 2025. REUTERS/Mike Segar (REUTERS/Mike Segar)
Donalds, a conservative former state lawmaker who has represented elements of southwest Florida’s nineteenth District in Congress for 4 years, has been eyeing a possible gubernatorial bid for practically a 12 months.
“I’ve thought of it. I don’t actually rule something out,” Donalds stated in a Fox Information Digital interview final spring when requested a few potential run for governor.
Sources confirmed to Fox Information final month that Donalds had been telling potential donors and Florida political gamers that he intends to run for governor.
WHY TRUMP IS PRAISING ONE-TIME PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY RIVAL DESANTIS
One other sign additionally got here final month, when Donalds employed outstanding Republican pollster Tony Fabrizio’s analysis agency. Fabrizio was a prime pollster in Trump’s 2016 and 2024 presidential campaigns.
Sources in Florida inform Fox Information that Donalds, behind the scenes, continues to make strikes in direction of launching a gubernatorial marketing campaign.
Rep. Byron Donalds of Florida speaks throughout Day 1 of the Republican Nationwide Conference, on the Fiserv Discussion board in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on July 15, 2024. (REUTERS/Mike Segar)
And a supply in Donalds’ political orbit instructed Fox Information on Thursday that the congressman has been pushing laborious for a Trump endorsement, in an effort to crowd out potential rivals for the GOP gubernatorial nomination.
One other outstanding Florida Republican who’s critically contemplating a run for governor is state Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson, the previous president of the state Senate.
There’s additionally been some hypothesis that DeSantis’ spouse, Florida First Girl Casey DeSantis, was probably contemplating a run to succeed her husband in Tallahassee. A ballot launched earlier this week, which advised Casey DeSantis could be favored within the race, grabbed loads of consideration.
Former Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, who was Trump’s first selection for lawyer basic in his second administration earlier than dropping out amid controversy, late final 12 months made some noise about probably working for governor. However there’s been little buzz in current weeks a few potential Gaetz marketing campaign.
Dan Eberhart, a Florida-based oil drilling chief govt officer and a outstanding Republican donor who’s raised massive bucks for Trump and DeSantis in recent times and who can be in Donalds’ political orbit, instructed Fox Information that Donalds, if he runs, would “convey a contemporary conservative imaginative and prescient for Florida’s future that can be laborious to beat.”
The social media publish by Trump was his second this week to pump up Donalds.
Trump on Monday showcased a display screen seize of a ballot performed by a gaggle aligned with Donalds that indicated the congressman main in a hypothetical 2026 Florida gubernatorial match-up.
Trump has been speaking up Donalds for over a 12 months relating to a potential run for governor. At a closed-door fundraiser in New York Metropolis final spring, Trump advised that if Donalds ran for Florida governor, he’d have “many mates within the race.”
Donalds, talking with Fox Information Digital quickly after Trump made the feedback, stated “it’s actually cool that individuals again dwelling in Florida think about me to have the ability to be the state’s subsequent governor. It’s actually an honor. It’s actually surreal desirous about it as a result of I’m 45 and my journey by means of politics has been a very fruitful one.”
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With Florida, which was as soon as a prime basic election battleground state, now firmly pink, the slowly rising GOP gubernatorial nomination battle can be significantly impacted by Trump’s endorsement in his adopted dwelling state.
However to not be discounted is any potential endorsement by DeSantis within the race to succeed the governor.
