Top Trump ally Byron Donalds turns up volume on likely 2026 Florida gubernatorial run

Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Florida, appears to be getting more vocal about running for Florida governor in 2026 in the race to succeed a term-limited Republican. Governor Ron DeSantis.

Donalds, a great friend, ally and supporter of President-elect Trump in the House of Representatives, has been telling potential donors and political players in Florida in recent days that he intends to run for governor, Republican sources confirm to Fox News.

Some of those conversations took place last weekend in Orlando at the Florida GOP’s annual meeting.

“He’s serious,” a source with knowledge told Fox News.

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Another sign came a week ago when the Donalds hired the research firm of prominent Republican pollster Tony Fabrizio. Fabrizio was a lead pollster for Trump’s 2016 and 2024 presidential campaigns.

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The former conservative state lawmaker who has represented parts of Southwest Florida’s 19th congressional district for four years has been eyeing a possible run for governor for months.

“I’ve thought about it. I’m not really ruling anything out,” Donald said in a Fox News Digital interview last spring when asked about a possible run for governor.

Donalds, who was a top surrogate for Trump’s campaign last year, was interviewed days after Trump, at a closed-door fundraiser in New York City, suggested that if Donalds ran as to governor of Florida in 2026, he would have “a lot of friends in the race.”

“It’s great that people back home in Florida are considering that I can be the next governor of the state. It’s really an honor. It’s really surreal to think because I’m 45 years old and my journey through politics has been very fruitful.” , Donalds said at the time. “It’s really humbling and an honor, but I just focus on doing the job at hand.”

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Another prominent Florida Republican believed to be considering a run is state Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson, the former president of the state Senate.

And former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., who was Trump’s first choice for attorney general in his second administration before dropping out amid the controversy, has also said he plans to run.

Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody was also thought to be considering a run to succeed DeSantis, her ally in Tallahassee, but the governor on Thursday nominated Moody to succeed Senator Marco RubioTrump’s nominee for secretary of state, who will likely be one of the president-elect’s first Cabinet picks to be confirmed by the Senate.

And Florida CFO Jimmy Patronis, who was also believed to be interested in a possible gubernatorial run, is considered the favorite in this month’s special congressional election to fill Gaetz’s seat.

“With Moody going to the Senate, should he choose to run for governor, Donalds would be the clear favorite over Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson, who is the choice of the Tallahassee establishment,” Fabrizio said. “We’ll see if the Tallahassee establishment extends itself after betting and losing badly in 2010 against (former two-term governor and current senator) Rick Scott and in 2018 against Ron DeSantis.”

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With Florida, once a major general election battleground state, now solidly red, the slowly-emerging gubernatorial battle may be determined by who Trump, the GOP kingpin in his home state adopted home from Florida and across the country, could finally return.

But don’t discount any possible endorsement of DeSantis in the race to succeed the governor.