April 1, 2025 Story by: Publisher
Rep. Byron Donalds doesn’t have Gov. Ron DeSantis’ support to become the next governor of Florida. But during his gubernatorial campaign kickoff rally on Friday, Donalds cast himself as a natural extension of the governor’s “free state of Florida” mantra.
After walking onstage to “The Time Is Now,” Donalds, 46, hailed Florida as “the best state in America” and reminded the crowd — many of them wearing “Make America Great Again” caps — that he had President Donald Trump’s endorsement in the 2026 race.
“He has endorsed me because he knows I will lead with courage, conviction and common sense,” Donalds said from the stage at the Sugarshack Downtown, a restaurant and music venue. “And that’s what our state needs: to remain the blueprint for what is possible in America. As your next governor, I’ll fix what’s broken while building on what makes Florida the best state in America.”
While Donalds spent some time talking about his biography, most of his speech focused on what he called a “bold and clear” plan for Florida, including promises to lower property insurance bills, reduce traffic jams, restore the Everglades, make Florida a global financial capital, cut taxes and improve education proficiency. Donalds pitched the improvements without criticizing DeSantis — instead praising him for building a “great foundation” while adding, “We have other things we have got to figure out.”
The rally comes as DeSantis has dismissed Donalds’ candidacy as too early and talked up the possibility that his wife, Florida first lady Casey DeSantis, may run for governor. DeSantis has suggested he doesn’t see Donalds as sufficiently conservative or as having contributed toward Florida’s conservative policy wins. The DeSantises were at a “Florida Heroes” event Friday evening at the governor’s mansion that honored first responders and faith leaders.
Donalds appeared to address the criticisms over his record directly during his speech, promising Florida would support Trump’s agenda on illegal immigration and would back law enforcement as DeSantis has. He raised instances in which he voted to the right of his colleagues, including against tightening gun restrictions in the wake of the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.
“I have proven time and again that I will defend your constitutional rights against any threats,” he said. “This is the free state of Florida, and as your next governor it will remain the free state of Florida.”
A run by Casey DeSantis would be widely viewed as yet another high-profile proxy war between the governor and Trump after the two faced off in the Republican presidential primary. During news interviews and rallies, Trump would often say that he thought Ron DeSantis was disloyal for challenging him after he helped him win his race for governor in 2018.
The president hasn’t said anything publicly about how DeSantis isn’t backing Donalds. But the DeSantises have been carrying out a balancing act by spending time with Trump over meals or playing golf, and in discussions about how Florida might support him in building a presidential library — while diverging with him on who should next lead the state.
While the governor got multiple shoutouts from rally speakers on Friday evening, a couple supporters indicated the choice for the Republican nomination should be settled given Trump’s early endorsement.
“I trust the president on what he has decided, whether it’s building his Cabinet or endorsing Byron Donalds as the next governor of Florida,” said Rep. Cory Mills (R-Fla.).
Donalds officially kicked off his gubernatorial campaign on Fox News’ “Hannity,” shortly after Trump endorsed him on Truth Social. The president’s support is considered the top prize for hopeful GOP candidates in Florida. Trump resides in the state, won there three times and had a game-changing role in helping DeSantis lock down the 2018 gubernatorial nomination.
“President Trump has proven time and time again who he endorses gets out there and wins, and I think that his endorsement is going to drive Byron over the edge,” Mills told POLITICO ahead of the rally, predicting he would see a “double-digit lead.”
Mills also said he’d told Donalds he was going to endorse him even before he’d made a run official. “He’s a tremendous man,” Mills said. “He’s a great father, a great husband, and he’s been one of my closest friends since I’ve come into the House, and he’s been a good mentor for me.”
Rep. Kat Cammack (R-Fla.) likewise praised her closeness to Donalds from the rally stage, saying he was always the first House member to congratulate her when her bills passed or when she had a win in her district. “We have to get to work now,” she told the crowd, “because the race is already underway.”
The rally comes early in the gubernatorial race — before any other major entrants have announced a run. Republican challengers can wait until well into next year and still qualify to run for the August primary.
Protests erupted outside throughout the rally, with demonstrators holding signs that read, “Fight Florida Fascism,” “Immigrants Make America Greater” and “Some animals are more equal than others,” a reference to George Orwell’s allegorical book about totalitarianism, “Animal Farm.” Donalds supporters at one point started drowning them out with chants of “USA! USA!” and booed them when Donalds said they “don’t sound very good.”
Donalds is in his third term in Congress and is in the House Freedom Caucus, the conservative group which counts DeSantis as a founding member. He was a key surrogate during Trump’s presidential campaign and held events in battleground states to reach out to Black voters. If elected, he would be Florida’s first Black governor.
Donalds and DeSantis used to be close. Donalds helped coach DeSantis in 2018 for his gubernatorial debate against Democrat Andrew Gillum, and he was the only person invited to speak onstage the night the governor won a blowout reelection victory in 2022.
But the two men had a falling out when Donalds endorsed Trump over DeSantis in the 2024 presidential primary. The relationship further soured when Donalds said that African American history standards for middle schoolers, that DeSantis defended, needed to be “adjusted.” The language Donalds and others were concerned about said enslaved people “developed skills which, in some instances, could be applied for their personal benefit.”
The Donalds campaign has been trickling out endorsements from top figures in MAGA world outside of several who spoke on his behalf Friday night. Outside of Cammack and Mills, Rep. Vern Buchanan, co-chair of the Florida delegation, endorsed him this month.
Donalds was introduced by his wife, Erika Donalds, who predicted that his run would “bring people together” and that “people will come behind an aspirational vision for our state.”
