Rep. Byron Donalds has won the race for Florida governor. NBC News projects the Republican congressman defeated Democrat David Jolly in Tuesday’s election. This result makes Donalds the first Black governor in the state’s history. He also becomes the first Black Republican elected to the office in the entire nation.
The race was tight until the final count came in. By 9:10 p.m. Eastern time, Donalds held a 1.3 percent lead over Jolly. That margin equals less than 102,000 votes according to the latest numbers. The Associated Press called the race once over 95 percent of the votes were in.
Donalds will succeed outgoing GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis in January. Prior to this victory, he spent almost six years serving in the U.S. House. He previously spent four years in the state House. This victory maintains Florida’s Republican streak, as no Democratic governor has been elected there since 1994.
Donalds posted a victory statement on X platform after the win. He wrote, “I am humbled and grateful beyond measure.” He promised to make life more affordable and keep streets safe. He also vowed to invest in young people so they can attain the Florida Dream.
Donalds faced a crowded field in the August GOP primary. He topped rivals like Lt. Gov. Jay Collins and former House Speaker Paul Renner. With support from President Trump, Donalds secured close to half the vote in that primary. Trump endorsed him in February of last year, before Donalds even launched his campaign.
During the general election, Donalds sought to appeal to moderate voters. He removed prominent mentions of his Trump endorsement from his campaign website. He told CBS News he wanted to capture “north of 20%” of the Black vote. This was a shift from the 13% that backed DeSantis in 2022.
Donalds said he thinks many Black voters are looking for the best leader. He told reporters, “I think the other thing with Black voters: they’re starting to not be as monolithically tied to the Democrat Party.” His opponent, David Jolly, had a different view of the race. Jolly told 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.”
The final tally showed Donalds with 50% of the vote. Jolly finished with 48.7% as of 9:09 p.m. according to the Washington Examiner. This outcome cements Donalds’s rise from a state lawmaker to the state’s top job. He represents the 19th district on the southern gulf coast.
Jolly represented the 13th district from 2014 to 2017 as a Republican. He registered as a Democrat in 2025 to launch this campaign. According to The Daily Wire, the state has not voted for Democrats in a presidential election since 2012. Donalds campaigned on affordability, school choice, and parental rights. He will take office in January to replace DeSantis after eight years.
