Congressman Byron Donald is a Republican candidate in the 2026 Florida gubernatorial election. He leads all Republican candidates in major polls by double-digit margins in each poll, but typically never reaches more than 50% of voters. In the Florida gubernatorial primary, a plurality vote, rather than a majority vote, can advance to the general election.
Donald has represented Florida’s 19th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives since January 2021. The district is based in southwest Florida and includes Naples and surrounding areas. He announced his candidacy for governor in February 2025 and entered the campaign with the support of President Donald Trump.
In Congress, Donald serves on the House Financial Services Committee and the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. Current subcommittee mandates cover digital assets and financial technology, financial institutions, economic growth and energy policy, and military and foreign affairs. Last term, he also served on the House Budget Committee and the Small Business Committee.
Mr. Donald frequently defends Mr. Trump and has gained national recognition as a member of the conservative wing of the Republican Party. In the drawn-out January 2023 leadership election, a group of Republicans opposed Kevin McCarthy’s original candidacy for the position, and he received a plurality of votes for House speaker.
Prior to joining Congress, Donald served in the Florida House of Representatives from 2016 to 2020, representing the 80th District, which includes parts of Collier and Hendry counties. During his time in Congress, he worked on banking, insurance, education, criminal justice, and government accountability issues, and served as chairman of the Home Insurance and Banking Subcommittee.
Donald first ran for Congress in 2012, but lost in the Republican primary. He later became active in the Tea Party movement before being elected to the Florida House of Representatives. In 2020, he won the crowded Republican primary for Florida’s 19th Congressional District and went on to win the general election.
His campaign for governor has emphasized lowering insurance premiums and housing costs, expanding transportation infrastructure, restoring the Everglades, improving public education and attracting more financial companies to Florida. Mr. Donald has also supported stricter immigration controls, lower taxes, more school choice, and policies in line with President Trump’s national policies.
Most recently, Mr. Donald proposed requiring large artificial intelligence data centers to secure their own power and water supplies, rather than passing infrastructure costs on to residential utility customers. He said Florida should embrace new technology while protecting water resources and preventing rising utility bills for households.
Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Donald moved to Florida to attend college. He graduated from Florida State University in 2002 with a degree in finance and marketing. Prior to running for elected office, he worked in banking, finance, and insurance in Southwest Florida.
Donald lives in Naples with his wife Erica and three sons. Because he is running for governor rather than seeking reelection in Congress, he will not appear as a candidate for reelection to the U.S. House of Representatives in the August 18, 2026 Republican Prima election.
