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Donalds expected to announce running mate
Byron Donalds, the Republican candidate for governor, is expected to announce his running mate in South Florida. FOX 13’s Kellie Cowan reports.
MIAMI, Fla. - Republican candidate for governor, Byron Donalds, is expected to announce his running mate during a campaign event Tuesday morning in Miami.
The announcement comes one week after Donalds won the Republican primary for governor with roughly 48-percent of the statewide vote. He will face Democratic nominee David Jolly in November.
Miami political stops
What we know:
Donalds is scheduled to begin a busy day of campaign stops with a morning appearance at Freedom Tower in downtown Miami.
The historic building once served as a refugee assistance center for Cubans arriving in the United States and is now a museum documenting Miami’s Cuban-American history.
The location of Donalds’ announcement has fueled speculation that he could select a Cuban-American running mate in an effort to appeal to South Florida voters.
State Sens. Anna Maria Rodriguez and Bryan Avila are among the names that have been speculated as possible picks.
Donalds is also expected to make campaign stops in Sanford and St. Petersburg later Tuesday.
General election race
The backstory:
This sets up a race between two candidates whose political journeys have taken different turns.
Donalds, a U.S. Congressman representing parts of southwest Florida, won the Republican gubernatorial primary this month.
He has described himself as committed to conservative principles since switching his voter registration status from democrat to Republican in 2010.
"Republicans want to know that you're going to be committed to those principles of liberty," Donalds said while meeting with reporters on primary night. "I'm somebody who started that way 17 years ago in the Tea Party movement. My principles haven't changed."
His opponent, former Republican Congressman David Jolly, won the Democratic primary last week. Jolly served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Florida's 13th district, which includes most of Pinellas County, from 2014 to 2017. He officially registered as a Democrat in 2025, ahead of his current gubernatorial campaign.
Jolly said his years as a Republican and later as an independent helped shape his current political outlook.
"Change is part of my journey," Jolly said. "The five or six years as an independent was one of the most informative parts of my life. I'm in a very post-partisan, post-ideological space."
Jolly has selected former Congresswoman Gwen Graham, the daughter of former Florida Gov. Bob Graham, as his running mate.
South Florida voters
Why you should care:
The announcement will give Donalds a full statewide ticket as the campaign turns toward the November general election.
A running mate with ties to South Florida could be significant in Miami-Dade, a heavily populated and politically influential county where both parties are expected to compete for voters.
The Source: This report is based on Donalds’ campaign schedule, Florida primary election results, and comments from Donalds and Jolly on primary night.