In ‘Still Red’ Florida, Byron Donalds Makes History as State’s First Black Governor

Republican Rep. Byron Donalds made history Tuesday in his bid to become Florida’s first Black governor – and the first Black Republican ever elected governor of any American state.  Donalds successfully fended off a hard-fought challenge by former Republican Congressman-turned-Democrat David Jolly, in a race that proved far more competitive than expected when Donalds first launched his campaign with the backing of President Donald Trump in February of 2025.