U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) cruised to victory in the Republican primary for Florida governor on Tuesday, defeating a field of challengers to become the party’s nominee to succeed term-limited Governor Ron DeSantis.
Donalds, who entered the race with the endorsement of President Donald Trump and substantial fundraising advantages exceeding $100 million, prevailed over multiple opponents in the crowded contest. The main challengers included Liuetantn Governor Jay Collins, political newcomer James Fishback and former Florida House Speaker Paul Renner.
The race was called by multiple election analysts, including Decision Desk and the Associated Press, in favor of Donalds roughly 15 minutes after polls closed at 7 p.m. Eastern Time. Available results showed Donalds well ahead with more than 50 percent of the vote as of the race call, nearly doubling Collins, the next-highest vote-getter. The results appear poised to align with pre-primary surveys consistently showed Donalds holding double-digit leads, often above 40 percent support among likely Republican voters, while his nearest rivals registered in the single digits to low teens.
🚨 RACE CALL: Trump-backed Rep. Byron Donalds wins the Florida GOP gubernatorial primary — to succeed Governor DeSantis. pic.twitter.com/h6GqrKr6Lg
— InteractivePolls (@IAPolls2022) August 18, 2026
Donalds’ victory comes after a primary campaign in which he strongly aligned himself with President Trump’s priorities. He benefited from broad institutional support within the state Republican Party, including endorsements from numerous sheriffs, legislators, and members of Congress, alongside the presidential backing that helped consolidate the field.
Republican turnout in the primary reflected strong participation relative to recent cycles. Early voting and mail ballots exceeded 1.9 million statewide ahead of Election Day, with Republicans accounting for a plurality of those votes.
Overall primary turnout figures from prior midterm years stood at approximately 26 percent in 2022 and 27 percent in 2018. The 2026 Republican share of the vote appeared higher than in the 2022 primary, consistent with the party’s registration advantage and engagement in the open gubernatorial contest.
Florida’s closed primary system limited participation to registered party members for the partisan races, and the gubernatorial contest helped drive interest on the Republican side. County-level data and statewide updates throughout the day showed sustained in-person voting, contributing to totals that surpassed some recent primary benchmarks in absolute numbers of Republican ballots.
With the nomination secured, Donalds will face David Jolly in the November general election. Jolly, a former Republican congressman who switched parties, led the Democratic primary field.
Public polling in the months before the primary generally placed Donalds ahead of Jolly in hypothetical general-election matchups, typically by margins of several points among likely voters. Florida’s recent electoral patterns, including Republican advantages in statewide races and voter registration, have positioned the GOP nominee as the favorite heading into the fall campaign.
