Another MAGA loyalist eyes Florida governor's race

Rep. Byron Donalds of Florida has shared with potential donors and political big-wigs in the state that he intends to run for governor, making him the second MAGA loyalist to consider throwing his hat in the ring. 

“He was in town [Tallahassee] meeting with all the folks you need to meet with. He told them he is in,” a source who met with Donalds told NBC News. “It’s the steps any candidate takes as they prepare to run for governor.”

Donalds reportedly made similar remarks at a GOP meeting in Orlando this past weekend, according to the outlet.

NBC News said it spoke with five sources familiar with Donalds’ thinking and upcoming plans. While there have long been rumors that the Florida representative is angling to replace Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is term-limited and will leave office in January 2027, this is the biggest sign yet that the Trump loyalist will likely leave his plum congressional seat in an attempt to be the Sunshine State’s next top executive.

When asked for comment, Donalds didn’t deny the rumors but told NBC News he’s focused on “helping President Trump pass his America First Agenda.” 

A spokesperson for Donalds did not immediately respond to Daily Kos’ request for comment.

Should Donalds run, he might face some intriguing competition. Disgraced former Rep. Matt Gaetz is also toying with whether to run for the gubernatorial seat. In a statement to NBC News, Gaetz reiterated that he and his wife are still considering his next steps.

Notably, this is not the first sign of Donalds’ increased interest in running for Florida’s governorship. 

Earlier this month, he hired one alum of President-elect Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign: Fabrizio, Lee & Associates. This company is led by Tony Fabrizio, who was Trump’s lead pollster during his first campaign for the White House and has conducted polling for MAGA Inc., a pro-Trump super PAC. NBC News also reports that Donalds is working with Brad Herold, who served as an advisor to DeSantis during his 2018 run, among others who have long worked to help boost MAGA-type Republicans.

Trump will almost certainly try to sway the fast-approaching GOP primary for Florida’s governor race. Last year, at a high-dollar fundraiser in New York, Trump asked Donalds point-blank whether he was planning to succeed DeSantis, whom Trump has had a rather stormy professional relationship with.

And let’s not forget, Trump’s influence can mean a lot in this race. After all, Trump’s endorsement of DeSantis in 2018 helped propel his candidacy. DeSantis won that year’s Republican primary with 57% of the vote; his closest competitor, Adam Putnam, the state’s former agriculture commissioner, received 37%. There’s no sign, either, that Trump’s grip on the party is slipping. Any Republican hoping to succeed in Florida politics likely needs to kiss the ring and earn Trump’s approval; at the very least, they need to avoid getting on his bad side. 

Donalds, who is 46, rose to prominence during the tea party movement. He was elected to Florida’s House of Representatives in 2016. Then, in 2020, he won a seat in the U.S. House, representing Florida’s 19th Congressional District. 

In his relatively short time in Congress, Donalds has become a close ally of Trump’s. He was among the group of Republicans who voted to overturn the 2020 election results after Trump lost to Joe Biden, and was endorsed for the House speakership by far-right lawmakers who refused to back then-Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s bid in early 2023. Last year, it was rumored that Trump might tap Donalds as a running mate.

That’s not to say Donalds is a shoo-in to be Florida’s next governor, should he decide to run. 

Beyond Gaetz, Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson could jump in the race. At one point, it looked like the race to replace DeSantis might attract more candidates, but the field has narrowed. State Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis is running to replace Gaetz in Congress (with Trump’s blessing, of course), and state Attorney General Ashley Moody has just been appointed to fill the Senate seat that Marco Rubio will vacate if he is confirmed as Trump’s secretary of state, as is expected.

There’s no timeline set for Donalds’ next steps. While he could, of course, leave Washington, D.C., early to start his bid, concerns about Republicans’ slim margins in the House make that tricky to navigate. 

As NBC News pointed out, Donalds may make his next move more clear following the conclusion of Florida’s two scheduled special elections, one of which reveals who Gaetz’s replacement will be. Both elections will take place on April 1.