Florida voters chose Byron Donalds and David Jolly as their gubernatorial candidates this Tuesday, setting a November 3 contest defined by Trump-drawn electoral maps.

Florida citizens went to the polls this Tuesday for the primary elections for different public offices such as the governorate, at local level, and the House of Representatives and senators, at federal level.

With 79% of the votes counted, Byron Donalds won the Republican primary for Florida governor with 764,284 votes, while Democrat David Jolly led his party’s race with 727,261 votes, setting the stage for the November 3 general election.

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Byron Donalds won the Republican election with 764,284 votes, and President Donald Trump quickly congratulated him through Truth Social.

The Trump-backed candidate dominated across South Florida. In Miami-Dade County, Donalds captured 58.7%; in Palm Beach, 59%; and in Broward, 56.2%. He also led in Orange County, home to Orlando, with 48.3%, and in Hillsborough County, home to Tampa, with 44.4%.

I am grateful to my family, my team, my volunteers, and every Floridian who powered us to this victory.

Now is the time for the Republican Party to unite. By working together, we can make Florida more affordable and defend the Florida Dream for our families, seniors, and young… pic.twitter.com/HZBtyaCS9G

— Byron Donalds (@ByronDonalds) August 19, 2026

Donalds was born in Brooklyn, New York, on October 28, 1978, and graduated from Florida State University in 2002 with a degree in Marketing and Finance. After a period in the financial sector, he entered politics in 2016, representing Hendry and eastern Collier counties in the state House of Representatives. On August 8, 2020, he won election to Florida’s 19th Congressional District with 23% of the vote, and since then has served on the Committees on Oversight and Accountability and Financial Services.

Meanwhile, David Jolly, a former Republican who joined the Democratic Party in April 2025, led the Democratic primary with strong support across the state’s most populous counties: 64.8% in Palm Beach, 63.5% in Broward, 62.3% in Hillsborough, 52.9% in Miami-Dade, 50.4% in Orlando and 50.4% in Orange.

JUST IN: David Jolly is the Democratic nominee for governor of Florida!

Onward to November. pic.twitter.com/cqwMRPBAWu

— Democrats (@TheDemocrats) August 19, 2026

Jolly was born in Pinellas County, Florida, on October 31, 1972. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Emory University in 1994 and a law degree from George Mason University in 2001, according to his campaign website. Between 1994 and 2006, he worked with the team of Representative Bill Young, when he was affiliated with the Republican Party.

In 2014, Jolly won a special election to occupy the seat as representative for the Tampa Bay area. The now Democrat remained in office until 2017, when he lost his reelection bid against Democrat Charlie Crist. One year later, he left the Republican Party and spent seven years as an independent.

Jolly proposes the expansion of Medicare and the prohibition of the sale of assault weapons if he wins the general elections on November 3. His platform emphasizes issues that differentiate him within a state where the Republican Party has dominated recent electoral cycles.

Redrawn Florida Map

The primaries unfolded under a congressional map that the state Legislature approved in May at Trump’s urging, four years before the 2030 census. The new drawing reduces the Democratic delegation from eight to four seats and raises the Republican delegation to 24, over a total of 28 districts.

Current Governor Ron DeSantis signed the law on May 4, meanwhile Democrats described the map as unconstitutional gerrymandering.

DeSantis did not endorse any candidate, not even his lieutenant governor, Jay Collins, who ran as a successor to his legacy. Collins finished second among Republicans with 25 percent of the votes.

Among the issues dominating the electoral agenda are the housing crisis and property insurance, with rising costs in household premiums and assessments for condominium owners; energy development and infrastructure, marked by the debate over the regulation of new data centers and their environmental impact; and the normative and educational approach, focusing on parents’ rights in public schools, migration control, and corporate policies.

The next governor will inherit a series of urgent structural challenges that have focused citizens’ interest, from rising cost-of-living to the sustainability of the insurance system and economic competitiveness.

Florida has been ruled by Republicans since the victory of Jeb Bush in 1998. DeSantis will leave office in January 2027, after completing two terms -the constitutional ceiling- and thus cannot run for re-election in November.

Now officially confirmed as their respective parties’ candidates for the governorship, Republican Byron Donalds and Democrat David Jolly are launching a 76-day time race until election day.

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