Expand / Collapse search
☰

Could Florida see a three-way race for governor?

By
Published  May 20, 2025 11:14pm EDT
Florida
FOX 13 News
Chatter grows about governor's race

Chatter grows about governor's race

Evan Axelbank reports.

The Brief

    • Florida's governor's race is more than a year away, but chatter continues to grow.
    • Byron Donalds, a congressman from Southwest Florida, is the only one currently running, and he has President Trump's endorsement.
    • It remains to be seen if Florida's First Lady Casey DeSantis will enter the race in hopes of taking over for her husband, Gov. Ron DeSantis after he leaves office.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Even though it's more than a year away, chatter is growing about the upcoming governor's race in Florida. But, when it comes to one of the biggest questions in Florida politics, the state's First Lady Casey DeSantis is leaving it unanswered. 

"We literally just went through an election cycle," she said Tuesday morning. "We're a hundred days into the presidency. And you talk to a lot of people around the state, and they are so tired of politics. They want people to actually do their jobs."

READ: Attorney John Morgan continues push for new political party, eyes 2026 governor’s race

Big picture view:

So for now, major candidates on the Republican side will remain at one: Byron Donalds, a congressman from Southwest Florida who was endorsed by President Donald Trump. 

It could be an awkward race for him, though, in that he praises his potential opponent's husband. 

"Governor DeSantis has done a tremendous job for our state," he told FOX News in February.

READ: Rep. Kathy Castor calls for federal investigation into Hope Florida

But, he does have one thing Casey DeSantis doesn't have: "I'm excited to have the full endorsement of President Trump," Donalds said. "He has a lot of faith in me."

Dig deeper:

A James Madison Institute poll shows the Florida First Lady would lead Donalds by a single point. But, when respondents found out about the Trump endorsement of Donalds, it was the congressman leading when it went to 19 points.

"Honestly, right now, it's very early," Donalds said. "I'm the only person in this race right now. So we'll see what happens."

The other side:

And who will emerge on the other side? 

MORE: Florida leaders to look at campus security after FSU shooting

Former Republican congressman from St. Pete, David Jolly, now says he's interested in running as a Democrat.

"I think more voices on the field are better, particularly in this moment," said Jolly. "I'm not concerned if there should be a Democratic primary."

Right now, he polls third in a primary race, but what if Florida sees a three-way general election? 

Miami State Sen. Jason Pizzo, once a Democrat, told WFOR in Miami that he's planning to run as a non-party-affiliated candidate after calling the Democratic Party "dead" in Florida.

"People need to really understand, NPAs decide who wins elections in this state."

Follow FOX 13 on YouTube

There's one thing Pizzo and Governor Ron DeSantis seem to agree on: 

"You're seeing this stuff about a three-way race, because people know if you have a D next to your name in this state, you are dead meat," said DeSantis.

The Source: The information in this story was gathered by FOX 13's Evan Axelbank. 

WATCH FOX 13 NEWS: 

STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA:

FloridaPolitics