Rep. Byron Donalds is wearing President Trump’s endorsement like a bulletproof vest in the Florida governor’s race.
When the news broke on Wednesday that former Florida House Speaker Paul Renner was filing paperwork to challenge him in the 2026 Republican primary race, Mr. Donalds flashed his Trump badge.
“Byron Donalds will be Florida’s next Governor because he is the proven conservative fighter endorsed by President Trump,” Ryan Smith, the campaign’s chief strategist, said in a statement.
The Trump endorsement has been gold, particularly in red-leaning states, where the race within the race for the Republican nomination centers on winning the president’s support.
That is certainly true in Florida, where Mr. Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club has become the home base for MAGA’s faithful outside Washington.
The undeniable power of the Trump blessing could help explain why Florida’s first lady, Casey DeSantis, has yet to jump into the race.
She is widely considered the most formidable challenge to Mr. Donalds.
She’s credited with helping shape the public image of her husband, Gov. Ron DeSantis, and has played a visible role in the administration.
Still, political insiders wonder whether Mr. Trump’s support for Mr. Donalds will keep her on the sidelines.
Ms. DeSantis has been on both sides of the Trump endorsement.
Mr. Trump’s 2018 endorsement helped Mr. DeSantis surge to the front of the pack in the governor’s race.
And the governor looked like a political juggernaut after winning reelection in a landslide in 2022.
But he lost some of his luster after he challenged Mr. Trump in the 2024 presidential primary — and got steamrolled despite the $130 million a super PAC spent on his behalf.
The co-chair of the Trump campaign was Susie Wiles, who helped steer Mr. DeSantis to victory in 2018 but later reportedly had a falling out with his wife.
Meanwhile, Mr. Renner’s entry into the governor’s race sets up a rematch of sorts with Mr. Donalds. Mr. Renner gained more support from his colleagues in the Legislature than Mr. Donalds to become speaker of the Florida House in 2017.
Mr. Donalds went on to become a member of Congress in 2021 and served as a top surrogate for Mr. Trump in the 2024 presidential campaign.