WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — The 2026 Florida Governor race will be hosting a campaign at a rally in Bonita Springs, a home town in southwestern Florida, where US lawmaker Byron Donald, backed by President Donald Trump.
Donald’s campaign at Sugar Shack, a live music venue and restaurant in downtown Bonita Springs, comes a month after officially announced the run to replace Florida Gov. Ron de Santis.
So far, 46-year-old Donald has no major challengers in the Republican primary. However, DeSantis had previously hinted that his wife, Casey DeSantis, would be a worthy candidate to continue his administration’s legacy.
DeSantis and his wife have traveled to South Florida to see Trump since Donald’s announcement. They also played golf with Trump at the Trump International Golf Course in early March.
For Donald, the next step is to begin securing approval between Florida lawmakers and the state’s legislators.
Since Donald secured Trump’s support, Republicans who race may face hurdles when they find Republican donors to find Republican donors. Trump’s support in other governors and Congress races has been shown to have a major impact on helping to select candidates, including DeSantis in 2018.
Apart from Casey DeSantis, potential GOP candidates include former U.S. Congressman Matt Gaetz, whom he said he was considering running in January, and Wilton Simpson, an agricultural commissioner who alienated immigration policy to the governor earlier this year.
Donald may not have many name recognitions throughout Florida, but he was a stubborn Trump ally.
He is a Republican from Brooklyn, New York and currently lives in Naples with his wife and three sons. He was elected to the US home in 2020, and he is part of the conservative Congressional Tea Party Caucus and is highly regarded by Republican colleagues in his circle. He was also on a short list of people considered Trump’s vice-presidential running buddies last year.
