Trump’s handpicked candidate is leaving his competition in the dust.
The Republican establishment is making one thing crystal clear.
And Byron Donalds locked down one endorsement wave that put the Florida governor’s race on ice.
House leadership unites behind Trump’s pick
U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds just scored what amounts to a knockout punch in the Florida gubernatorial race before most voters even started paying attention.¹
63 Republican members of the Florida House of Representatives endorsed the Naples congressman for governor on Wednesday — representing about three-quarters of the entire GOP caucus.²
That’s not just impressive numbers.
It’s a demonstration of force that shows the Republican Party coalescing behind Trump’s chosen candidate while his primary opponent scrambles for support.
House Speaker Daniel Perez led the endorsement wave and didn’t mince words about why.³
"President Trump endorsed Byron Donalds for Governor for the same reason that Floridians will overwhelmingly elect him to serve as our next Governor," Perez said.⁴ "He will fight for our families and our state. He will make Florida government work for our people, not for himself."⁵
Several lawmakers jumped on board early when Donalds announced his campaign back in February after securing President Trump’s endorsement.⁶
But the bulk of these endorsements came Wednesday — a coordinated show of support that’s designed to clear the field and end any doubt about who Florida Republicans want as their next governor.⁷
House Majority Leader Tyler Sirois praised Donalds as someone who "leads with courage, conviction, and integrity" and shares the caucus’s "commitment to growing Florida’s economy, protecting our freedoms, and backing the men and women of law enforcement."⁸
That’s the kind of language that tells you Republicans aren’t just backing Donalds — they’re enthusiastic about it.
Trump’s endorsement continues reshaping the race
Look, this endorsement wave didn’t happen in a vacuum.⁹
President Trump threw his weight behind Donalds back in February, giving him the single most valuable asset in Republican politics — Trump’s "Complete and Total Endorsement."¹⁰
Trump posted on his Truth Social page that Donalds "would be a truly Great and Powerful Governor for Florida" and told him to "RUN, BYRON, RUN!"¹¹
That endorsement fundamentally changed the dynamics of this race before it even started.¹²
Donalds responded by officially entering the race days later, announcing his candidacy on Fox News with Sean Hannity.¹³
Since then, he’s been methodically building an unstoppable coalition.
He’s already secured endorsements from 16 members of Florida’s congressional delegation, including U.S. Senator Rick Scott, a former Florida governor who knows something about winning statewide.¹⁴
He’s got 15 Florida sheriffs backing him.¹⁵
He’s picked up support from House Speaker Mike Johnson, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, and other members of congressional leadership.¹⁶
And now three-quarters of the Florida House Republican caucus is in his corner.
The pattern here is obvious — Republicans at every level are following Trump’s lead.
Rep. Juan Carlos Porras, one of Donalds’ earliest supporters, connected those dots explicitly when he endorsed him.¹⁷
"Last year, I was the first state representative to endorse Donald Trump, and few men stood with the president as staunchly as Byron Donalds," Porras said.¹⁸ "Today, I am honored to be the first in the State House to endorse him to be the next governor of Florida."¹⁹
Translation: Trump’s endorsement isn’t just valuable — it’s decisive.
Rep. Mike Redondo echoed that sentiment, calling Donalds "a bold, America First conservative" who’s "the Trump-endorsed conservative fighter we need to keep Florida thriving."²⁰
This is what a coronation looks like in Republican politics in 2025.
Donalds’ primary opponent faces impossible odds
Former House Speaker Paul Renner entered the race in September, positioning himself as the candidate to carry forward Governor Ron DeSantis’s legacy.²¹
The problem?
DeSantis himself rejected that pitch immediately and publicly.²²
"I’m not supporting Paul Renner," DeSantis said bluntly at a press conference just hours after Renner filed for the race.²³ "I think it was an ill-advised decision to enter the race."²⁴
That’s the sitting governor telling his former House Speaker to sit this one out.
Now Renner faces a candidate who has Trump’s endorsement, most of the congressional delegation, three-quarters of the state House caucus, and a massive fundraising advantage.
Internal polling from Donalds’ campaign shows him with a commanding lead — 34% support compared to Renner’s single digits in some surveys.²⁵
A July poll from St. Pete Polls found Donalds with 34.9% support compared to just 2.2% for Renner among likely Republican primary voters.²⁶
Even a more recent survey from the James Madison Institute showed Donalds crushing Renner 29% to 9% in a head-to-head matchup.²⁷
Here’s what makes those numbers even more devastating for Renner — most voters still don’t know who he is.
The same James Madison Institute poll found 62% of voters remain undecided, which means Renner’s ceiling for growth is limited.²⁸
Political analyst Susan MacManus explained the fundamental problem facing anyone trying to challenge Trump’s pick.²⁹
"It makes it more difficult for the others because they don’t want to really be against Trump," she said.³⁰
That’s the strategic bind Renner finds himself in.
He can’t attack Donalds without implicitly criticizing Trump’s judgment.
He can’t run as the true conservative when Trump — the undisputed leader of the conservative movement — already picked his horse.
And he can’t claim the DeSantis mantle when DeSantis himself said entering the race was "ill-advised."
Why this matters for Florida’s future
Florida Republicans aren’t just picking their next governor.³¹
They’re choosing who will lead the Free State of Florida after eight years of DeSantis transforming the state into a conservative model for the nation.³²
Donalds has made clear he intends to build on DeSantis’s record while addressing challenges like property insurance costs and protecting Florida’s waterways.³³
"Florida must continue to lead the way in education reform, economic opportunity, lowering costs for families, protecting public safety and in defending our God-given rights and freedoms," Donalds said in a statement announcing his campaign.³⁴
If elected, Donalds would become Florida’s first Black governor — a historic milestone for the state.³⁵
But more important than demographics is the strategic significance of this race.
Florida has become ground zero for the culture war battles that define national politics.
Education policy, immigration enforcement, economic freedom — Florida Republicans have led on all of it under DeSantis.
Donalds represents continuity with that approach while also bringing his own national profile and close relationship with Trump.
He was on Trump’s short list for Vice President in 2024 and served as one of Trump’s most visible surrogates during the campaign.³⁶
That relationship matters because Trump isn’t going anywhere.
Even after his presidency ends, Trump will remain the single most influential figure in Republican politics.
Having a Trump-backed governor in America’s third-largest state ensures the President’s agenda continues at the state level no matter what happens in Washington, D.C.
The 63 House endorsements Donalds picked up Wednesday aren’t just about this race.
They’re about Florida Republicans understanding where power lies in their party and positioning themselves accordingly.
Rep. Jennifer Canady, who’s in line to become House Speaker in 2028, backed Donalds and explained her reasoning.³⁷
"Byron Donalds is exactly the kind of leader Florida needs, a man of conviction and courage who will fight for families, protect our freedoms, and stand up for what’s right," Canady said.³⁸
Mike Redondo, set to wield the Speaker’s gavel in 2030, also endorsed Donalds.³⁹
These aren’t just current leaders backing Donalds.
These are future leaders positioning themselves with the candidate they believe will be governing Florida for the next eight years.
That’s the kind of calculation that tells you this race is effectively over before the first vote is cast.
Trump picked his candidate in February.
Florida Republicans spent the next eight months falling in line.
And now Donalds has the institutional support, the financial resources, and the polling numbers that make him virtually unstoppable heading into the August 2026 primary.
Renner can keep campaigning.
But he’s running against Trump’s pick with Trump’s party in Trump’s adopted home state.
That’s not a race — it’s a formality.
¹ Jacob Ogles, "Daniel Perez leads 63 House members in endorsing Byron Donalds for Governor," Florida Politics, October 15, 2025.
² Ibid.
³ Ibid.
⁴ Frank Kopylov, "63 Florida lawmakers endorse Byron Donalds for Governor, joining President Trump in support," Florida News, October 15, 2025.
⁵ Ibid.
⁶ Ibid.
⁷ Ibid.
⁸ Kopylov, Florida News.
⁹ Sarah Williams, "Byron Donalds, endorsed by Trump, says he’s running for Florida governor," WUSF, February 26, 2025.
¹⁰ Ibid.
¹¹ Ibid.
¹² Niels Lesniewski, "Byron Donalds, with Trump endorsement, announces bid for governor," Roll Call, February 25, 2025.
¹³ Ibid.
¹⁴ Jacob Ogles, "Neal Dunn becomes latest in Florida congressional delegation to endorse Byron Donalds," Florida Politics, October 13, 2025.
¹⁵ Ibid.
¹⁶ Ibid.
¹⁷ Kopylov, Florida News.
¹⁸ Ibid.
¹⁹ Ibid.
²⁰ Ogles, Florida Politics, October 15, 2025.
²¹ Lauren Victor, "Florida’s 2026 governor’s race heats up as Paul Renner challenges Byron Donalds," WCTV, September 3, 2025.
²² Livia Caputo, "DeSantis opposes Paul Renner entering governor’s race: ‘Ill-advised decision,’" Florida Phoenix, September 3, 2025.
²³ Ibid.
²⁴ Ibid.
²⁵ Jacob Ogles, "Poll: Donald Trump’s endorsement gives Byron Donalds double-digit lead in GOP Primary for Governor," Florida Politics, March 10, 2025.
²⁶ Victor, WCTV.
²⁷ Jacob Ogles, "Byron Donalds, Paul Renner both hold edge — barely — over David Jolly in poll from James Madison Institute," Florida Politics, October 2025.
²⁸ Ibid.
²⁹ Victor, WCTV.
³⁰ Ibid.
³¹ Williams, WUSF.
³² Williams, WUSF.
³³ Victor, WCTV.
³⁴ Williams, WUSF.
³⁵ Ibid.
³⁶ Ibid.
³⁷ Ogles, Florida Politics, October 15, 2025.
³⁸ Ibid.
³⁹ Ibid.
