Florida's Governor race just went into overdrive.
Ron DeSantis' allies thought they had time to build their candidate.
But Byron Donalds just dropped one number that put jaws on the floor.
Trump-Backed Congressman Shatters Florida Fundraising Records
Byron Donalds hit the $40 million mark in his Florida Governor's race and nobody saw it coming this fast.
The Naples Congressman announced Thursday he's raised more than $40 million since launching his campaign in February — a figure that's rewriting the rules of Florida politics.¹
For perspective, that's 2½ times what Ron DeSantis raised and $3 million more than Adam Putnam raised in total during the entire 2018 Republican primary.²
https://twitter.com/LivCaputo/status/2001703513563275427?s=20
Donalds accomplished this in less than a year while DeSantis and Putnam had full campaign cycles to hit their numbers.
The campaign says donations came from more than 24,000 supporters across Florida and nationwide.³
But the real story isn't just the money — it's what that money represents.
Donald Trump's endorsement turned this race into a juggernaut before it even got started.
And now with a war chest bigger than any gubernatorial candidate in state history, Donalds isn't just the frontrunner.
He's already approaching the finish line while his opponents are still trying to find the starting blocks.
The latest poll from The American Promise shows Donalds crushing the field with 38% support among Republican primary voters.⁴
That's a 27-point lead over Lieutenant Governor Jay Collins, who's polling at just 9%.⁵
Former House Speaker Paul Renner barely registers at 1%, and CEO James Fishback sits at 2%.⁶
But here's where things get really interesting for Donalds.
When voters are informed that Trump endorsed Donalds, his support jumps to 50% — an outright majority.⁷
Meanwhile, Collins drops to 7% once people know Trump picked Donalds.⁸
That's not a campaign — that's a landslide waiting to happen.
https://twitter.com/ByronWarRoom/status/2001978195818516747?s=20
Political Committees Spent Millions Trying to Stop Donalds' Momentum
The Florida Fighters political committee has been dumping money into ads promoting Jay Collins for weeks now.
Multiple millions spent on TV spots across key Florida media markets trying to build Collins' name recognition.
And what did all that money accomplish?
Nothing.
The poll conducted December 8-9 came after weeks of these Collins ads blanketing the airwaves.
Pollster Ryan Tyson specifically timed the survey to measure whether those ads helped Collins.
They didn't.⁹
Donalds' campaign manager Ryan Smith put it bluntly: "mystery donors lit millions on fire" trying to boost a DeSantis-backed alternative to Donalds.¹⁰
The sugar high wore off and Collins is right back where he started.
That's what happens when you're trying to stop a freight train with a feather duster.
Political committees allied with DeSantis thought they could manufacture a candidate to take on Trump's pick.
But Trump's endorsement combined with Donalds' fundraising dominance and a commanding lead in every poll makes this race essentially over before it officially begins.
The DeSantis wing of Florida Republicans is learning what every other political faction learned in 2016 — fighting Trump is expensive, exhausting, and ultimately futile.
https://twitter.com/WellsJorda89710/status/2001391761269363141?s=20
Donalds Assembled Trump-Level Coalition of Power Players
The endorsement list reads like a who's who of conservative power in America.
Trump gave Donalds his "complete and total endorsement" the moment Donalds announced.
U.S. Senator Rick Scott backed Donalds early.
House Speaker Mike Johnson endorsed him.
So did 17 members of Florida's 20-person congressional delegation and 63 members of the Florida House.¹¹
But the real firepower comes from outside traditional politics.
Elon Musk publicly supports Donalds.
Golf legend Phil Mickelson threw his name behind the campaign.
And before his assassination on September 10, Charlie Kirk — founder of Turning Point USA — was one of Donalds' biggest supporters.¹²
https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/2000944943783641155?s=20
That's the coalition you need to dominate Florida Republican politics in 2025.
Traditional endorsements from politicians matter.
But Trump, Musk, and the conservative movement's grassroots energy behind Donalds creates something no amount of spending by DeSantis allies can overcome.
Twenty-seven Florida sheriffs have endorsed Donalds — law enforcement backing that signals credibility on the crime issue that dominates Florida politics.¹³
The campaign held 75 political events across 41 counties in 2025, with hour-long photo lines at each stop.¹⁴
People aren't just voting for Donalds — they're showing up in droves to meet him, get pictures, and volunteer for the campaign.
DeSantis Caught Between His Legacy and Trump's Dominance
Ron DeSantis finds himself in an impossible position.
He appointed Jay Collins as Lieutenant Governor in August, clearly signaling Collins as his preferred successor.
But DeSantis hasn't formally endorsed anyone yet — and it's eating away at his political standing.
Every day DeSantis waits to back Collins is another day Trump's endorsement of Donalds gains strength.
And if DeSantis does endorse Collins now, he's setting up a direct proxy war with Trump in his own state.
That's a fight DeSantis already lost once during the 2024 presidential primary.
Trump crushed DeSantis in Florida during that race — in DeSantis' home state where he won reelection by 19 points just two years earlier.
Now DeSantis would be asking Florida Republicans to reject Trump's endorsed candidate in favor of his own pick.
Good luck with that strategy.
The numbers tell the brutal truth about where Florida Republicans' loyalties lie.
In a head-to-head matchup where voters know Trump endorsed Donalds and DeSantis potentially endorsed Collins, Donalds leads 57% to 10%.¹⁵
That's not a competitive race — it's a political massacre.
DeSantis built a conservative record in Florida that earned him national prominence and a presidential campaign.
But Trump's grip on the Republican base proves stronger than any governor's legacy.
And Donalds has positioned himself as the candidate who will continue Trump's agenda while building on DeSantis' accomplishments — threading the needle perfectly.
DeSantis' dilemma is simple: endorse Collins and watch him get destroyed by Trump's candidate, or stay neutral and watch his political influence in Florida evaporate as Donalds walks to victory without needing DeSantis' blessing.
Either way, the Governor loses.
Byron Donalds just proved with $40 million and dominant polling that Trump's endorsement is the only endorsement that matters in Florida Republican politics.
¹ Mitch Perry, "Donalds campaign says it's raised more than $40 million in race for governor," Florida Phoenix, December 18, 2025.
² Ryan Smith, "Byron Donalds Ends Year With 'Dominant' $40M Gubernatorial Campaign," Newsmax, December 18, 2025.
³ Ibid.
⁴ Jacob Ogles, "New poll shows Byron Donalds maintains front-runner status in GOP Primary," Florida Politics, December 16, 2025.
⁵ – ⁹ Ibid.
¹⁰ Jacob Ogles, "'Most dominant' ever? Byron Donalds' campaign boasts $40M, massive polling leads since launch," Florida Politics, December 18, 2025.
¹¹ – ¹⁴ Ibid.
¹⁵ Mitch Perry, "Byron Donalds continues to lead all Florida Republicans in 2026 gubernatorial poll," Florida Phoenix, July 14, 2025.
