The 2026 Florida governor’s race just got a whole lot more interesting.
Trump’s hand-picked candidate is making moves that have the political establishment taking notice.
And Byron Donalds pulled off one massive fundraising victory that left his competition scrambling.
Trump-backed Donalds raises monster $9.2 million in third quarter
U.S. Representative Byron Donalds just delivered the kind of fundraising performance that ends political careers before they even get started.
The Naples Republican announced he hauled in a staggering $9.2 million during the third quarter of 2025 alone.
That brings his total war chest since launching his gubernatorial campaign in March to over $31.5 million.
For context, that’s the kind of money that typically takes candidates years to accumulate – and Donalds did it in just seven months.
The numbers are even more impressive when you consider that summer months during off-year elections are usually dead zones for political fundraising.
Most high-dollar donors flee Florida for cooler climates, making serious money harder to come by.
But Donalds didn’t just survive the summer fundraising drought – he absolutely crushed it.
"By every metric, Byron Donalds is the dominant force in the Governor’s race," said Ryan Smith, Donalds’ chief strategist. "With his broad conservative grassroots support, record-setting fundraising, and wide lead in the polls, Byron Donalds is criss-crossing Florida and taking his winning message to every corner of the state."
The timing couldn’t be better for Donalds, who secured President Donald Trump’s endorsement back in February.
Political insiders viewed Trump’s early endorsement as effectively ending the race before it really began.
Now the fundraising numbers are backing up that assessment.
Major Florida power players line up behind Trump’s pick
Look at who’s writing the checks to Donalds and you’ll see a who’s who of Florida’s most influential players.
The Seminole Tribe of Florida – the same group that pumped serious money into Ron DeSantis – cut Donalds a $1 million check in August.
That’s not just money. That’s a signal that the state’s gaming powerhouse sees Donalds as the inevitable winner.
Two political committees controlled by Florida House Speaker Daniel Perez also delivered a combined $1 million to Donalds.
Perez has clashed frequently with DeSantis, so his financial backing of Donalds sends a clear message about where the Republican establishment’s loyalties lie.
Club for Growth Florida, the conservative kingmaker that helped Donalds win his congressional seat, ponied up $175,000.
That’s particularly noteworthy since the group backed DeSantis in 2018 – showing how the conservative movement is consolidating around Donalds.
The donor list reads like a directory of American success stories: hedge fund legend John Paulson, chewing gum heir Beau Wrigley, and construction executive Christian LaFace all opened their wallets.
But here’s what really matters – these aren’t just wealthy individuals throwing money around.
These are smart political operators who’ve made fortunes by picking winners early.
And they’re all betting on Byron Donalds.
Donalds’ competition is getting absolutely embarrassed
You want to talk about a political bloodbath? Look at what’s left of Donalds’ opposition.
Former Florida House Speaker Paul Renner jumped into the race and his fundraising numbers are a complete joke.
Lieutenant Governor Jay Collins is supposed to be the next big threat, but the guy’s political committee has managed to scrape together a whopping $363,000 since DeSantis gave him the job last month.
$363,000. That’s what some congressional candidates spend on lawn signs.
Casey DeSantis gets floated as a possible candidate every few weeks, but here’s the problem – polling shows she gets crushed the second voters find out Trump already picked Donalds.
And that’s the real kicker here.
You can’t run a Florida gubernatorial campaign on good intentions and a prayer.
The state’s got expensive media markets from Jacksonville to Miami, and if you don’t have the money to get on television, you might as well stay home.
Donalds can flood the airwaves in every major market while these other candidates are still trying to figure out how to pay their staff.
But money’s just part of the equation – Donalds has Trump’s political machine behind him, and that’s something you can’t buy at any price.
Look, here’s what these numbers actually tell you
Florida conservatives just found their next governor, and his name is Byron Donalds.
This isn’t some abstract political analysis – this is cold, hard political reality backed up by $31 million in the bank.
Donalds gets what Florida voters want: secure borders, jobs for Americans, and zero tolerance for woke garbage in schools.
The fundraising proves something else, too – Trump’s political operation is still the most powerful force in Republican politics, and it’s not even close.
When Trump picks a candidate, the money shows up, the infrastructure activates, and suddenly everyone else is playing for second place.
You want to see DeSantis’ conservative revolution continue? Donalds is your guy.
He’s got the Trump endorsement that unlocks the grassroots army, the financial firepower to win, and most importantly, the backbone to fight the fights that matter.
The 2026 race was supposed to be this big competitive primary with multiple serious candidates.
Instead, Trump’s endorsement and these fundraising numbers just made it a done deal.
Good luck to anyone crazy enough to think they can beat this combination of money, organization, and Trump’s backing – they’re going to need a lot more than hope and campaign slogans.
¹ Michelle Vecerina, "Donalds campaign hauls in over $9.2 million in Q3, total nears $32 million," Florida’s Voice, October 1, 2025.
² Kimberly Leonard, "Donalds raises $31.5M in Florida governor’s race, posts more than $9M in Q3," Politico, October 1, 2025.
³ Jacob Ogles, "Byron Donalds war chest grows to more than $31M," Florida Politics, October 2, 2025.
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