Republican Rep. Byron Donalds narrowly won Florida’s gubernatorial race on Tuesday, defeating Democrat David Jolly in a contest that came down to a margin of 1.3 percentage points, or fewer than 108,000 votes, with more than 95 percent of the vote counted.
Donalds will succeed term-limited Gov. Ron DeSantis. Jolly had said during the campaign that he wanted to apologize to the world on behalf of Florida for what he called “culture wars,” a reference to policies pursued under DeSantis, including measures restricting gender-transition procedures for minors and cracking down on illegal immigration.
In his victory speech Tuesday night, Donalds opened by thanking his faith before turning to his own history in the state.
“Before I say anything, I want to thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,” Donalds said. “My 30 years in Florida has been a very interesting 30 years, but more than anything, it’s been a story of redemption. It’s been a story of people that I met along the way, back in college, through young adulthood.”
Donalds also addressed President Trump directly during the speech, saying, “Mr. President, I want you to hear from Florida that we are still red.” He thanked DeSantis for his leadership and said he intends to “make sure that Florida remains the very best state in all of America.”
Following the win, Donalds posted on social media, writing, “THANK YOU FLORIDA!” and adding, “I am humbled and grateful beyond measure. As your Governor, I will give you everything I have.” He pledged to “make life in Florida more affordable” and outlined priorities including public safety and opportunity for young residents.
“We are going to keep our streets safe. We are going to invest in our young people so that they can attain the Florida Dream that all of us love so dearly,” Donalds said. “Florida is the envy of the nation. I will fight day and night to keep it that way and to lift our state to even greater heights.”
He closed his post with, “God Bless you, God Bless Florida, and God Bless America.”
Donalds’ win came alongside another Republican victory in Florida: Sen. Ashley Moody defeated Democratic Socialists of America candidate Angie Nixon in the state’s Senate race. The two results made Florida one of the few bright spots for Republicans on an election night that saw Democrats make broad gains nationally, retaking control of both the House and the Senate.
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