Byron Donalds wins Florida governorship in 150,000 vote margin

Byron Donalds defeated Democrat David Jolly by 150,000 votes to win the governorship of Florida. Projections from Fox News and NBC confirmed the result after more than 98 percent of the vote was counted. The race was close, with Donalds holding a narrow lead over his opponent.

Donalds will succeed Ron DeSantis in January. DeSantis, a fellow Republican, is leaving office after completing two terms. He was barred from seeking a third term under state rules. Donalds, a representative of the Make America Great Again movement and an ally of President Donald Trump, served as a federal representative in the U.S. House for six years before running for governor.

The victory extends Republican control of Florida. The state has had five consecutive conservative governors since 1998. Before Donalds, Florida was considered a swing state, though that status has shifted in the 21st century. His election marks a historic first for the state's executive office.

Donalds will become the first Black governor in Florida history. He is also the first Republican to hold the office at the state level. Prior to this election, only three Black Americans had served as governors: Douglas Wilder of Virginia from 1990 to 1994, Deval Patrick of Massachusetts from 2007 to 2015, and Wes Moore of Maryland, who took office in 2023.

The result was part of the midterm elections held on Tuesday. Voters across the United States chose all members of the U.S. House of Representatives, one third of the U.S. Senate, and various state and local officials. In Georgia, Keisha Lance Bottoms won her state's governorship the same night, becoming the first Black woman elected to that position in the United States.