A brewing divide between two of Florida’s most prominent Republicans took center stage Tuesday evening when U.S. Representative Byron Donalds announced his candidacy for the 2026 gubernatorial race on Fox News with Sean Hannity.
The Naples lawmaker’s bid, bolstered by an early endorsement from President Donald Trump, sets up a potential showdown with allies of outgoing Governor Ron DeSantis, who fired back this week with pointed critiques of Donalds’ record.
READ: Florida Gov. DeSantis Touts Wife’s Conservative Credentials, Questions Byron Donalds’ Record
With DeSantis nearing the end of his second term and ineligible to run again, the race to succeed him is heating up. Trump wasted no time throwing his weight behind Donalds, declaring on Truth Social last Thursday, “Donalds would be a truly great and powerful governor for Florida and, should he decide to run, will have my complete and total endorsement. Run, Byron, Run!” The endorsement amplifies an emerging rift between Trump and DeSantis, former allies whose rivalry flared during the 2024 presidential primary.
Donalds confirmed his run when pressed by Hannity. “After a lot of prayer, a lot of thoughts with my family and friends, I’m here to announce my candidacy to be the next governor of the great state of Florida,” he said. “We have a wonderful state. I got to Florida when I was 17 years old off of a Greyhound bus with just a trunk full of clothes.”
READ: Florida Fish And Wildlife Commission Makes The Switch To “Gulf Of America”
The congressman pitched himself as a self-made conservative leader. “Over the rest of my time in Florida, I built a family, I built a career—17 years in financial services. I joined the Tea Party movement, was in the conservative movement,” Donalds said. “I was able to serve four years in the state legislature, four years in Congress. I think now is the time to take the mantle and lead our state into the future.”
But DeSantis, speaking in Tampa on Monday, appeared to challenge Donalds’ credentials while subtly boosting his wife, Casey DeSantis, as a possible contender.
“The reality is we’ve achieved victories in Florida… You got a guy like Byron, he just hasn’t been a part of any of the victories that we’ve had here over the left over these last years,” DeSantis said. “He’s been in other states campaigning, doing that, and that’s fine. But deliver results up there.” He also warned that with the GOP’s narrow House majority, “trying to campaign other places and missing these votes… is not something that’s advisable at all.”
READ: Florida Gov. DeSantis Breaks Ground On 31-Mile I-75 Expansion In Ocala Years Ahead Of Schedule
DeSantis contrasted Donalds’ record with his own administration’s record, while praising Casey DeSantis’ conservative appeal.
“There’s no question she would have out-performed me,” he said of her hypothetical 2022 run, referencing his own historic landslide victory that year. Though Casey DeSantis has not declared her candidacy, her husband’s comments signal a potential counterweight to Donalds’ ambitions.
Donalds’ campaign leans heavily on Trump’s backing and his own grassroots story, positioning him as a MAGA standard-bearer in a state transformed by DeSantis’ policies.
Please make a small donation to the Tampa Free Press to help sustain independent journalism. Your contribution enables us to continue delivering high-quality, local, and national news coverage.
Connect with us: Follow the Tampa Free Press on Facebook and Twitter for breaking news and updates.
Sign up: Subscribe to our free newsletter for a curated selection of top stories delivered straight to your inbox.