On February 20, 2025, President Trump endorsed US Consultant Byron Donalds for the governor of Florida in 2026.
5 days later, Byron Donalds announced his candidacy for the following governor of Florida.
Since February, the lone Republican to problem Byron Donalds’s candidacy has been Surfside, FL mayor, Charles Burkett. With no nationwide title recognition, Burkett has roughly 5,719 constituents in Surfside, FL, in accordance with US Census Bureau information.
In different phrases, barring unexpected circumstances, Burkett’s problem to Donalds will stay a misplaced trigger.
Then again, First Woman of Florida, Casey DeSantis, has the ability to upend the Florida governor’s race by mounting a run, herself, in 2026.
Based on The Hill, Casey DeSantis has lengthy been mulling a run for Florida governor.
Regardless of this distinct chance, nevertheless, current Florida polling finds Donalds to be favored over Casey DeSantis, 44-25%.
With Donalds having secured President Trump’s endorsement, one other distinguished Florida Republican, former Congressman Matt Gaetz, could also be clever to pursue different alternatives comparable in magnitude to the Florida governor.
Evidently, Casey DeSantis and Matt Gaetz each have the political capital to drive a closely-contested Republican Major for Florida governor in 2026.
Nonetheless, if these distinguished Florida Republicans resolve to not run for governor in 2026, then Donalds seems poised to be elected Florida’s subsequent governor – with Democrat help in Florida hitting a new low.
At such a excessive likelihood of being elected the following Florida governor, Donalds not too long ago granted a one-hour interview to Christian Broadcasting Community, by which he revealed, astoundingly, that he “gave his life to Christ within the parking zone of a Cracker Barrel.”
On Could 7, Donalds instructed the Christian Broadcasting Network:
Working at a Florida Cracker Barrel at 21 years outdated, Donalds was serving a big desk made up of a church group. Leaving the desk, he went again to rolling silverware after which it occurred.
“The Lord spoke to me,” Donalds recollects. “It was like, ‘Cease operating from Me.’ And so, it simply knocked me again. So I went out to search out the desk, and so they had been all gone, and I might see by the home windows that they had been getting on their bus. So I walked out. My supervisor’s like, ‘The place are you going?’ I want a second. I stroll on the market. The final woman’s getting on the bus, and she or he goes, ‘Yo, man, you okay?’ And I’m going, ‘No, ma’am, I’m not okay.?’ She goes, ‘what?’ And I’m going, ‘The Lord is telling me to cease operating.’ I nonetheless get emotional about it. And so there was just a little tree that was proper there subsequent to the place their van was pulled up, and so they all got here pouring out the bus. I imply, they simply got here from a revival. So that they’re like, ‘Oh, reward the Lord, we bought one other one!’ So that they pour out of the bus, and so they all pray over me, and I gave my life to Christ within the parking zone of a Cracker Barrel.”
After that, his life started to take off.
Would Donalds be a greater governor of Florida than Casey DeSantis?
