Donalds Wins Florida Governor’s Race in Close Contest

Donalds won 50% of the vote to Jolly’s 48.7%, with more than 95% of ballots counted. His victory keeps the governor’s office in Republican hands and makes him Florida’s first Black governor. He is set to take office in January, succeeding DeSantis after eight years in office.

The result was much tighter than recent Republican wins in the state. DeSantis won reelection by nearly 20 points in 2022, and President Donald Trump carried Florida by 13 points in 2024. Republicans have held the governorship since 1999; no Democrat has won it since 1994.

Donalds, a congressman and close Trump ally, campaigned on continuing DeSantis’s conservative agenda, while also stressing lower costs, a more streamlined government, education options for families and parents’ role in schooling. Trump endorsed him before the Republican primary, which Donalds won decisively. He also had a substantial fundraising advantage over Jolly.

Jolly, a former Republican congressman who later joined the Democratic Party, focused on the cost of living, housing and property insurance. He ran as a moderate, but Donalds repeatedly portrayed him as too far left. Jolly declined to debate, saying he did not want to give Donalds a platform.

Donalds has pledged to build on DeSantis’s record. His administration will take office in a state where rising housing costs and affordability were central campaign issues, and where Republican leaders in the legislature have signaled they want to act more independently.

Florida’s Close Race Exposes GOP Vulnerability

Donalds held onto Florida’s governor’s office for Republicans, but his narrow win over David Jolly is a warning for a party that has dominated the state. Donalds received 50% of the vote to Jolly’s 48.7%, with more than 95% of ballots counted—a far tighter margin than Donald Trump’s 13-point Florida win in 2024 or Ron DeSantis’s nearly 20-point reelection victory in 2022.

Jolly made affordability, housing costs and property insurance central to his campaign, issues facing voters in a state where economic pressures and housing affordability were prominent concerns. He also presented himself as a moderate after leaving the Republican Party and joining the Democrats. His campaign came close, even as he faced a significant fundraising disadvantage and limited help from national Democratic groups.

Donalds, a Trump-endorsed congressman, will be Florida’s first Black governor and take office in January. He campaigned on extending DeSantis’s conservative program, including its approach to education and parental rights. The result keeps Republicans in power, but it does not erase the signal sent by an unexpectedly competitive race.

The next governor inherits a state where housing affordability and the cost of living remain major concerns. He will also work with a Republican-controlled legislature whose leaders have indicated they want a more independent role, rather than simply following the governor’s agenda.

Donalds Holds Florida for Republicans Despite Tight Race

Byron Donalds won Florida’s governorship and kept the state’s top office Republican, despite a closer-than-expected contest with David Jolly. Donalds took 50% of the vote to Jolly’s 48.7%, with more than 95% of ballots counted. Florida has not elected a Democratic governor since 1994, and Donalds will be its first Black governor.

The result came after Donalds won Trump’s backing and campaigned as the candidate who would continue Ron DeSantis’s conservative agenda. He emphasized school choice, parental rights and government efficiency, while Jolly tried to make housing costs, property insurance and affordability the focus. Donalds also attacked Jolly as too far left; Jolly, a former Republican who became a Democrat, declined to debate him.

Republicans have reason to celebrate the hold, but the narrow margin is a clear reminder that Florida cannot be taken for granted. DeSantis won by nearly 20 points in 2022, while Florida gave Trump a 13-point margin in 2024. Donalds now has to turn his campaign’s promise to build on DeSantis’s record into a governing agenda that keeps the state moving in the direction Republican voters chose.

Donalds takes office in January. His challenge will include addressing the affordability concerns raised during the campaign while carrying forward the conservative course he promised voters.