Byron Donalds Wins Florida Governor’s Race

Republican U.S. Representative Byron Donalds won Florida’s governor’s race on 3 November 2026, defeating Democratic nominee David Jolly. He will become Florida’s first Black governor and, according to the supplied facts, the first Black Republican elected governor in U.S. history. Donalds is scheduled to take office as the state’s 47th governor on 5 January 2027.

Election result and transition

Donalds won by about 1.5 to 2 percentage points, or approximately 100,000 votes statewide, in a race described as unexpectedly competitive. He will succeed Republican Governor Ron DeSantis, who was ineligible to seek a third consecutive term.

A three-term congressman from the Fort Myers area, Donalds secured the Republican nomination on 18 August 2026 with an endorsement from President Donald Trump. Jolly, a former Republican congressman who switched parties, ran as a centrist. Campaign issues included high prices and homeowners’ insurance costs.

Important Facts for Exams

• Term limit: Florida’s governor serves a four-year term and may be re-elected only once consecutively.
• Joint ticket: Florida elects its governor alongside a running mate for lieutenant governor, with those elections held alongside several other statewide executive races.
• Eligibility and prior service: Florida’s constitutional eligibility rules require a gubernatorial candidate to be at least 30, a state resident for seven years, and not to have served six years or more across the two prior terms.