WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. The most obvious indication yet that Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., is pursuing his long-awaited quest for governor is his announcement to prospective funders and Florida political figures that he is seeking the governorship in 2026.
Although there have been long-standing suspicions that Donalds, who represents southwest Florida, is thinking about running for office to succeed term-limited Governor Ron DeSantis, the allegations have intensified recently. During a state Republican Party gathering in Orlando last weekend, Donalds announced his candidacy and sponsored a hospitality suite.
He has made his intentions even more apparent in the last week by holding a number of meetings with influential political donors and lobbyists.
Five people with knowledge of Donalds’ meetings and thought processes provide a description of his preparations.
He met with everyone you need to meet with while he was in town in Tallahassee. According to a source who met with Donalds, he informed them that he was in. It refers to the actions that each candidate takes in order to become ready to run for governor.
“I’m totally focused on helping President Trump pass his America First Agenda,” Donalds told NBC News. Florida will take the lead with pride.
The Republican field to succeed DeSantis was once thought to consist of five or six candidates, but it has significantly shrunk with state Attorney General Ashley Moody likely to be appointed to fill the Senate seat left empty by Marco Rubio, President-elect Donald Trump’s choice for secretary of state, and state Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis running for Congress.
Donalds and state Agriculture Commission Wilton Simpson, a former state Senate president, are currently the two most well-known Republican candidates.
The Tampa Bay Times was the first to disclose that former U.S. Representative Matt Gaetz, who just accepted a position as an anchor on the conservative TV network OAN, has also openly indicated that he is thinking about running for office.
“A governor who can end the insurance industry’s hegemony over Tallahassee is what Florida needs.” Referring to his wife, Gaetz wrote in a message to NBC News, “I can do that, so it’s something Ginger and I are considering.”
Requests for comment from Simpson’s team were not answered.
Donalds has a strong reputation and the capacity to raise a sizable amount of money from outside the state because he is seen as a close ally of Trump and a regular on cable news channels. However, with $30 million already in the bank and years of experience in Florida politics, Simpson is a strong contender.
Trump will most likely be the deciding factor in the next, much followed Republican primary for governor.
After years of Republican dominance, Trump won Florida, his home state, by over 15 percentage points. The state is now firmly red. He is seen to be the most influential figure in Florida politics, especially the state’s upcoming governor’s race in the midterm elections.
Simpson and Donalds have a long-standing friendship with Susie Wiles, Trump’s new White House chief of staff. After serving as one of Trump’s most outspoken 2024 allies and closest congressional confidants, Donalds is thought to have a closer direct relationship with the president.
Ryan Smith, a former business associate of James Blair, the political director of Trump’s 2024 campaign, has also been appointed by Donalds as one of his top Florida advisers. Smith will now be a senior government official.
In addition to Smith, Donalds is collaborating with Brad Herold, a seasoned Republican politician from Florida who served as one of DeSantis’s primary early advisors during his unsuccessful 2018 gubernatorial campaign. Additionally, Donalds has hired fundraiser Megan McKinley, who has worked for Rubio and former National Republican Senatorial Committee chair Sen. Todd Young of Indiana, and Tony Fabrizio, a leading Trump pollster.
DeSantis is considered a possible wild card even if the field has shrunk.
He and Donalds were so close that in 2022, Donalds invited DeSantis and his family to his reelection night celebration. However, once Donalds supported Trump in the GOP presidential race, the two quickly fell out. DeSantis is unlikely to support Simpson because the two have never been close.
DeSantis could designate Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuez as president of Florida International University, her alma mater, and her successor would be considered DeSantis’ preferred choice to run for governor in order to find a candidate he could formally support, according to two people familiar with his thinking.
A short list of potential candidates for that position does not yet exist.
There is no deadline for when Donalds or any other contender would formally announce their candidacies, but with Republicans controlling a small majority in the House, there are worries that he would leave Congress too soon.
The outcome of two special congressional elections in Florida that were prompted by Gaetz’s departure from the House and Trump’s appointment of Rep. Mike Waltz as his national security adviser might have a significant impact on when any announcement is made. The contests for those seats, which lean Republican, substantially favor Patronis and state representative Randy Fine, respectively.
April 1 is the date of the special election for both seats.