Republican Congressman Byron Donalds has won Florida’s Republican primary for governor, securing the GOP nomination in the battle to succeed term-limited Governor Ron DeSantis.

The Associated Press called the race for Donalds on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, after the Trump-backed lawmaker built a commanding advantage over a crowded field of Republican challengers.

With roughly 84% of the expected vote counted, Donalds had captured about 49%, while Lieutenant Governor Jay Collins stood at approximately 25%. James Fishback followed with around 10%, according to results cited by The Wall Street Journal.

Donalds, who has represented southwest Florida in Congress since 2021, entered the race with the endorsement of President Donald Trump and remained the dominant Republican candidate throughout much of the campaign.

His primary victory now sets up a major general-election confrontation with David Jolly, the former Republican congressman who won the Democratic gubernatorial nomination on the same night. Jolly, who later became a Democrat, is attempting to break the Republican Party’s long hold on Florida’s governor’s mansion.

Florida Democrats have not won a gubernatorial election since 1994, making the November contest another major test of whether the state’s increasingly Republican political direction can be challenged.

For Donalds, however, the stakes go beyond party control.

If he defeats Jolly in the November 3, 2026 general election, Donalds would become Florida’s first Black governor, marking a historic political milestone for the state.

His victory also reinforces Trump’s continued influence within Florida Republican politics, with the president’s endorsement helping position Donalds as the clear frontrunner throughout the primary campaign.

With the GOP nomination now secured, Donalds and Jolly move into what promises to be a closely watched battle over Florida’s future — and control of one of America’s most politically important governor’s offices.