Jay Collins lost a leg in combat and kept serving for five more years.
Now he's running for Florida governor on the strength of that service – and the nation's largest veterans' election group just endorsed the other guy.
That tells you everything about where this race is headed.
CVA Action Makes It Official
Concerned Veterans for America Action announced Wednesday it is backing Byron Donalds in the 2026 race to succeed term-limited Governor Ron DeSantis.
This isn't a boutique endorsement.
CVA Action ran a six-figure direct mail operation for Ron DeSantis in 2018 – and DeSantis won.
https://twitter.com/ByronDonalds/status/2036901389868081522?s=20
John Vick, CVA Action senior adviser, said Florida deserves "a governor with a proven record of delivering results and tackling the challenges that matter most to families across the state."
Donalds thanked Florida's military families and said he'd never stop fighting to protect the American Dream they sacrificed to defend.
What Collins Was Selling
Collins built his entire campaign around one argument: I'm the warrior, they're the politicians.
A decorated Army Green Beret.
Combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan.
He lost a leg, came back, and served five more years.
Then he went into politics – Florida Senate in 2022, lieutenant governor last year – and announced his run for governor on the premise that Florida needs someone battle-tested and day-one ready.
It was a compelling story.
It just wasn't enough.
CVA Action – the organization that exists to elect leaders who honor veteran communities – looked at the full field and chose Byron Donalds.
The Race Is Effectively Over
A January poll by GOP firm Fabrizio, Lee & Associates showed Donalds leading the field by 13 points before voters were told about Trump's endorsement.
After they were told, his lead jumped to 58 points.
https://twitter.com/FLVoiceNews/status/2036937697260941691?s=20
Prediction market Polymarket had Donalds at 80% to win the Republican primary as of mid-January, with Collins sitting at 3%.
Republicans haven't won a Florida governor's race since 1994.
Trump carried the state 56%-43% in 2024.
Donalds has visited 28 of Florida's 67 counties since announcing, raised tens of millions, and consolidated endorsements across the conservative movement.
CVA Action has now closed the last lane Collins had.
A Green Beret who lost a leg in combat and kept going couldn't beat a congressman from Naples for the veteran vote in his own state.
That's not a knock on Jay Collins.
That's a testament to how dominant Byron Donalds has become – and how completely the conservative movement has aligned behind the man Donald Trump told Florida to elect.
Sources:
- Frank Kopylov, "Veterans group endorses Byron Donalds for Florida governor," Florida News, March 25, 2026.
- "Latest 2026 Florida GOP gubernatorial poll shows Byron Donalds blowing away the rest of the field," Florida Phoenix, January 9, 2026.
- "Who is running for Florida governor in 2026?" Tallahassee Democrat, January 16, 2026.
- "Lt. Gov. Jay Collins on why he'd be 'day one ready' as Florida's governor," WUSF, March 13, 2026.
- Kevin Derby, "Concerned Veterans of America Helps Out Ron DeSantis," Sunshine State News, October 2, 2018.
