President Trump’s endorsed candidate is beginning to make waves in Florida.
The Southwest Florida Congressman is hitting the campaign trail hard.
And Byron Donalds shocked Democrats with one jaw-dropping statement about his bid for Governor.
Trump-backed Donalds begins his campaign blitz across the Sunshine State
Congressman Byron Donalds is wasting no time introducing himself to voters across Florida after securing Donald Trump’s coveted endorsement in the 2026 governor’s race.
Speaking from the back of a flatbed truck at Conservative Grounds, a MAGA-themed coffee shop in Pinellas County, Donalds addressed criticism from outgoing Governor Ron DeSantis that he “hasn’t been part of any of the victories” Republicans have achieved in Florida.
“A lot’s been made about what I’ve been doing the last couple of years,” Donalds acknowledged during his 22-minute speech.
He explained that he faced a critical choice – stay in Florida or campaign nationally for Trump.
“I told the President and I told his campaign, I said, ‘Listen: You can have the entire calendar. Just take it. It’s yours,'” Donalds revealed.
The 46-year-old Brooklyn native who moved to Florida to attend Florida State University didn’t mince words about his priorities.
“Because Florida is wonderful. We have leadership that has protected this state. Governor DeSantis is to be commended for that. He’s done a tremendous job. But the fight this last November was not in Florida. The fight was across America,” Donalds declared.
Donalds vows to take on property insurance crisis and continue DeSantis’ work
While light on specific policy details, Donalds touched on several hot-button issues facing Floridians.
On the property insurance crisis that has plagued homeowners across the state, Donalds boldly promised, “We’re going to fix it once and for all.”
He also pledged to continue DeSantis’ transportation initiatives, saying, “We’re going to expand these roads. We’re going to make it easier for people to move through, not just here in Clearwater, not just here in Pinellas, but all through Florida.”
And on the economy, Donalds vowed to make Florida “the number one economy in the entire nation,” attracting more businesses and creating more jobs.
Donalds also emphasized that under his leadership, “there will be no RINO activity in Tallahassee,” drawing enthusiastic cheers from the crowd.
Donalds doubles down on Trump connection at Miami campaign event
Just days after his Pinellas County appearance, Donalds took his campaign to Miami, holding a Q&A session at a local church with about 200 attendees.
State Senator Bryan Ávila introduced Donalds as “the present as well as the future of the MAGA movement,” to thunderous applause.
When asked why voters should support him for governor, Donalds delivered a statement that left Democrats fuming.
“Everybody campaigns, everybody’s got cool ads. Everybody can put mail in mailboxes in this campaign. The one thing nobody else can do is nobody else can say that they’re supported by Donald Trump — I am,” Donalds declared.
This unabashed embrace of Trump’s endorsement signals Donalds’ strategy to leverage the former president’s popularity with the Republican base in Florida.
The race begins to take shape
Donalds currently stands as the only major declared Republican candidate, though First Lady Casey DeSantis and Miami Mayor Francis Suarez have both hinted at potential runs.
Meanwhile, Democrats face their own challenges with a splitting field.
Former Representative David Jolly recently became a Democrat and state Senator Jason Pizzo announced an independent bid.
When asked about the disarray, Donalds simply smiled and said that “campaigns are interesting things. Democrats are far more concerned about how many people are running.”
Donalds, who got his political start during the Tea Party movement of 2010, was introduced at his Pinellas County event by his wife, Erika, a former Collier County School Board member who now chairs the Florida chapter of the America First Policy Institute.
She explained what motivated their political involvement.
“We got angry at what we saw the government doing, making decisions that were ruining our economy, bailing out people and companies that didn’t deserve it, while we were working our butts off to pay all of our bills and do things the right way,” she said.
As the endorsed Trump candidate in a state that has shifted increasingly red, Donalds appears positioned to make a strong run for the governor’s mansion in 2026.
