U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds won the Republican nomination for Florida governor and former Rep. David Jolly secured the Democratic nomination in the state primary elections, setting up a November general election battle to succeed outgoing Gov. Ron DeSantis, according to KCCI. The Associated Press and Decision Desk HQ projected Jolly’s victory after polls closed at 8 p.m., with the latest returns showing Jolly leading with 66% of the vote ahead of Dayna Foster at 11% and Rep. Dotie Joseph at 9%, as reported by USA Today.
Florida Primary Results Set November Showdown
Donalds defeated several primary challengers, including former DeSantis running mate and Lt. Gov. Jay Collins, former Florida House Speaker Paul Renner, and James Fishback, according to Theguardian and Cbsnews. Donalds banked on an endorsement from President Donald Trump to secure his party’s nomination, aiming to become the first Black governor in any southern U.S. state. Jolly, a former Republican congressman and lawyer who switched parties last year, easily fended off a challenge from five other Democrats to win the nomination by a 55-point margin alongside his running mate, former Congresswoman Gwen Graham.
Key Policy Debates and Campaign Platforms
The general election matchup presents voters with starkly different approaches to state governance, affordability, and public safety. Donalds has made property taxes, insurance costs, and overall economic affordability central planks of his campaign while championing President Trump’s agenda. On firearms, Donalds is running as a staunch Second Amendment advocate who wants to repeal much of the gun-control package enacted after the 2018 Parkland school shooting, according to USA Today.
Jolly aims to build a broad coalition of Democrats, independents, and disaffected Republicans. His platform addresses affordability, water protections, utility customers, workers, and infrastructure development. Jolly has called for a statewide moratorium on new data center projects until Florida adopts stronger protections for water supplies, utility customers, and workers, while Donalds opposes a moratorium and has proposed requiring operators to absorb infrastructure costs to prevent rate increases for utility customers.
Path to November and Electoral Landscape
Florida law limits governors to two consecutive terms, leaving DeSantis ineligible to run for reelection in 2026. While DeSantis did not make an endorsement in the Republican primary, Trump backed Donalds, whose strong showing leaves Republicans in a commanding position in a state that has moved significantly to the right since 2016. Cook Political Report rates the general election race as Solid R, noting that no Democrat has won a Florida governor’s election since Lawton Chiles in 1994.
The general election will take place on November 3, 2026, alongside nationwide midterm elections. Important electoral deadlines ahead of November include:
- Sept. 19, 2026: Deadline to send vote-by-mail ballots to UOCAVA voters
- Sept. 24 – Oct. 1, 2026: Deadline to send vote-by-mail ballots to domestic voters
- Oct. 5, 2026: Deadline to register to vote
- Oct. 22, 2026: Deadline to request that ballots be mailed
- Oct. 24 – 31, 2026: Mandatory early voting period
- Nov. 3, 2026: Election Day
