Byron Donalds

Election night

Byron Donalds won: Governor of Florida.

Against David Jolly (D) · Cook rating: Lean R

See the race

Stories

Byron Donalds becomes Florida's first Black governor

Rule Changes

Governor-elect; named transition team Nov. 10; takes office January 2027

Byron Donalds won Florida's governor race with 50.02% of the vote to Democrat David Jolly's 48.7%. The roughly 107,700-vote margin made him the state's first Black governor and the first Black Republican elected governor in the country.

Updated 4 hours ago

2026 governor races elect a record slate of historic firsts

Rule Changes

Elected November 3, 2026

For 250 years, no Black woman had been elected governor of a U.S. state. On November 3, 2026, Georgia voters elected Keisha Lance Bottoms, ending that streak and setting off a wave of firsts in governor's races across the country.

Updated 2 days ago

Notable Quotes

"It's really a matter of personal pride. I think it's a matter of pride for Black Americans all through the country."

from Byron Donalds becomes Florida's first Black governor · Updated 4 hours ago

"Florida will be a state for everybody."

from Byron Donalds becomes Florida's first Black governor · Updated 4 hours ago