Byron Donalds Makes History in Florida Governor Win

GRAND RAPIDS, MI. - Byron Donalds won the Florida governor's race on Tuesday, defeating David Jolly to make history in Florida and nationally.

With 97.66 percent of the expected vote counted, Donalds had 4,065,486 votes to 3,963,591 for Jolly, a margin of 101,895 votes. MSMG calls the race for Donalds.

Jolly led in the early returns as the early and mail vote was counted. The lead flipped as Election Day votes were reported, with Republican voters turning out on Election Day by a wide margin and Donalds running up large margins across much of North Florida.

Donalds will become Florida's first Black governor. He will also become the first Black Republican elected governor in U.S. history.

Donalds, 48, succeeds term-limited Gov. Ron DeSantis and is set to take office on January 5, 2027. His win keeps Florida under Republican control, extending a Republican winning streak in Florida governor's races that dates to 1998.

Donalds has represented Southwest Florida's 19th congressional district in the U.S. House since 2021, after serving in the Florida House of Representatives from 2016 to 2020. Born and raised in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, he attended Florida A&M University before earning a degree in finance and marketing from Florida State University in 2002. He lives in Naples with his wife, Erika, and their children, and worked in banking, finance and insurance before entering politics. He entered the race with the endorsement of President Trump.

Jolly, the Democratic nominee, is a former Republican congressman who represented Florida's 13th congressional district from 2014 to 2017 before leaving the party.