Donalds Claims Florida Governorship

Byron Donalds won the Florida governor's race against Democrat David Jolly, according to an Associated Press call. The victory makes the 48-year-old the state's first Black governor.

Florida has approximately 1.5 million more registered Republicans than Democrats. The state also contains 3.3 million unaffiliated voters. Polls throughout the campaign showed a tight contest that favored Donalds in many estimates.

Donalds campaigned on affordability, citing inflation, housing costs, and insurance premiums. He pledged to continue the conservative policies of outgoing Governor Ron DeSantis. DeSantis, who remains popular in the state, joined Donalds on the trail during the campaign.

The candidate spent most of his career in the finance industry. He served two terms in the Florida House and two terms in Congress. A Democrat until 2010, Donalds switched parties and became an early supporter of President Donald Trump in 2024. Trump backed Donalds in the general election. The two held a joint rally days before the vote.

Earlier polls this year showed Trump was less popular in Florida than DeSantis. In September, Donalds removed prominent displays of Trump's name from his campaign website. This move appeared to distance the candidate from the president.

Jolly, 54, ran on a slogan calling for voters to believe in better. He focused on housing, inflation, gas prices, and the rise of AI data centers. On the campaign trail, he labeled Donalds as data center Donalds. This criticism referenced campaign contributions from the industry. Donalds introduced legislation this summer requiring data centers to generate their own power and water.

Jolly served in Congress as a Republican. He left the party in 2018 during Trump's first term. He registered as an independent before switching to the Democratic Party last year. His professional background includes work as a lawyer, lobbyist, and television political analyst.