Professional athletes rarely stick their necks out for conservative candidates.
The backlash from the woke mob makes most celebrities run for cover.
But Phil Mickelson just gave Byron Donalds one shocking gift that left Democrats speechless.
Golf legend Phil Mickelson threw his weight behind Byron Donalds' run for Florida Governor, giving the conservative Congressman a major boost from one of sports' most politically outspoken figures.
Mickelson posted his endorsement on X, telling Donalds "You will make a great governor! Wishing you all the best."¹
https://twitter.com/PhilMickelson/status/1989179544801276125?s=20
The six-time major champion joins an impressive roster of conservative powerhouses backing Donalds, including President Donald Trump, Elon Musk, Senator Ted Cruz, and Congressman Chip Roy.
And Democrats watched their hopes for Florida dim even further as another high-profile endorsement rolled in for the rising Republican star.
Trump's pick dominates the field as DeSantis allies scramble
A new Victory Insights poll shows exactly why Mickelson jumped on board the Donalds campaign.
The Southwest Florida Congressman is crushing his Republican primary opponents with 45% support compared to just 2.7% for Paul Renner, 1.2% for Kevin Collins, and 1.1% for David Fishback.²
https://twitter.com/VictoryPolling/status/1989049157693419744?s=20
That's not a lead, that's a landslide in the making.
Nearly half of Republican voters remain undecided, but Donalds already has nearly half the decided vote locked up.
President Trump's February endorsement changed the entire race overnight.
"RUN, BYRON, RUN!" Trump posted on Truth Social, giving Donalds his "Complete and Total Endorsement."³
The Trump stamp of approval matters in Florida more than anywhere else in America.
Trump didn't just win Florida in 2024, he dominated by 13 points while Republicans swept every statewide office.
Governor Ron DeSantis can't run again because of term limits, and his wife Casey DeSantis has been floated as a potential challenger to Donalds.
But polling shows Trump's endorsement gives Donalds an insurmountable advantage.
When voters were told Trump backs Donalds, his support jumped to 49% while Casey DeSantis dropped to just 21%.⁴
https://twitter.com/ByronDonalds/status/1989182555237806136?s=20
Mickelson brings conservative credibility and massive reach
Phil Mickelson isn't your typical celebrity endorsement.
The 54-year-old golf legend has earned a reputation for refusing to back down from his conservative principles despite intense pressure from the Left.
Just recently, Mickelson blasted Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer for opposing the SAVE Act, which would require proof of citizenship to vote.
"How is this fighting for Americans? How is letting non citizens vote in American elections a good thing? It is NOT!" Mickelson wrote on X.⁵
https://twitter.com/PhilMickelson/status/1917731508955078999?s=20
Mickelson attended a memorial for Charlie Kirk, the conservative activist assassinated in September 2025, and praised the peaceful gathering.
He's also been vocal about California's disastrous policies, including sky-high gas prices and destructive regulations that drove him to move to Florida.
The pro golfer told Golf Digest years ago that taxes were his number one issue, and he wasn't shy about it.
When asked if being conservative was accurate, Mickelson smiled and said taxes were his "No. 1, 2, 3, 4 and maybe 5" priority.⁶
That's the kind of political backbone most celebrities lack.
Mickelson left the PGA Tour for LIV Golf and took massive heat from the woke sports media for it.
He refused to apologize and doubled down on his decision.
"Maybe I shouldn't have said stuff like that, I don't know," Mickelson said when asked about defending LIV Golf. "If I'm just looking at LIV Golf and where we are today to where we were six, seven months ago and people are saying this is dead in the water, and we're past that."⁷
That same fighting spirit is exactly what Donalds brings to politics.
Donalds built a coalition the Left can't match
Byron Donalds didn't just wake up one morning and decide to run for Governor.
The Naples Congressman spent years building relationships across Florida's Republican base.
He secured endorsements from 17 members of Florida's congressional delegation, 15 sheriffs statewide, and 75% of the Republican caucus in the Florida House.⁸
That's the kind of institutional support that wins primaries.
Donalds rose through the ranks as a Tea Party conservative and MAGA warrior who never backed down from the radical Left.
GovTrack ranked him as the second most politically right Member of Congress in 2024.⁹
He voted to object to certifying Arizona and Pennsylvania's electoral votes on January 6, 2021, standing with Trump when it mattered most.
Democrats and their media allies tried to destroy Donalds over his Jim Crow comments about Black families during the Trump campaign.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries attacked him on the House floor.
Donalds didn't apologize or back down.
He kept fighting and secured Trump's endorsement for Governor.
Governor DeSantis tried to undermine Donalds by saying he "hasn't been a part of any of the victories that we've had here over the last few years."¹⁰
That attack fell flat because Donalds was too busy helping Trump win the Presidency while DeSantis was getting embarrassed in the 2024 primaries.
https://twitter.com/ByronDonalds/status/1894591493215510867?s=20
The race is already over and Democrats know it
Florida moved so far Right over the past decade that Democrats can barely compete statewide anymore.
They haven't won a Governor's race since 1994.
Trump won Florida by 13 points in 2024 after winning by 3.4 points in 2020.
DeSantis won re-election in 2022 by 19.4 points after squeaking by with just 0.4 points in 2018.
The trend is unmistakable and Democrats are watching their last hope slip away.
Former Congressman David Jolly switched parties to run as a Democrat against Donalds in the general election.
Early polling shows Donalds leading Jolly 37% to 31% with a third of voters still undecided.¹¹
Republicans hold a 550,000-voter registration advantage over Democrats in Florida.
The Republican primary is the real election, and Donalds has it locked up.
Trump's endorsement sealed the deal, and Phil Mickelson's support adds another layer of credibility with conservative voters who admire athletes willing to take a stand.
Mickelson joins an elite group of public figures who refused to let the woke mob silence them.
And Byron Donalds will ride that support straight to the Governor's Mansion in Tallahassee.
The Florida Republican primary is scheduled for August 2026, but this race is already decided.
¹ Phil Mickelson, X post, November 14, 2025.
² Victory Insights Poll, "Florida Republican Gubernatorial Primary," November 2025.
³ Donald Trump, Truth Social post, February 2025.
⁴ St. Pete Polls for Florida Politics, "Florida GOP Gubernatorial Race," July 8-10, 2025.
⁵ Phil Mickelson, X post, May 2025.
⁶ Golf Digest, "A likable tour pro's win reminds us when political differences shouldn't matter," August 19, 2020.
⁷ The Spun, "Phil Mickelson Refuses To Apologize For His Politics," May 1, 2025.
⁸ Florida Voice News, "Pro golfer Phil Mickelson endorses Byron Donalds for Florida Governor," November 14, 2025.
⁹ GovTrack.us, "Rep. Byron Donalds 2024 Report Card," January 3, 2025.
¹⁰ Florida Phoenix, "DeSantis disses Donalds, touts First Lady, when asked about 2026 governor race," February 24, 2025.
¹¹ Victory Insights Poll, "Byron Donalds vs. David Jolly Gubernatorial Race," June 7-10, 2025.
