Florida Democratic Party Chairwoman Nikki Fried criticized U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds on Tuesday after he formally announced his Florida governor run.
“Byron Donalds is a dangerous political opportunist who should be nowhere near the governor’s mansion,” Fried said in a statement. “One of the least popular people in Tallahassee politics, Byron is best known for skipping votes, defending insurrectionists, and promoting a revisionist version of Black history that defends Jim Crow. He has little political experience and no executive experience, and is completely unqualified to run the state of Florida."
Nikki Fried also blasted Rep. Donalds' potential predecessor, Gov. Ron DeSantis, just yesterday. I guess you can say she's not pulling any punches.
Donalds, a Republican, announced his run on Fox News' Hannity last night. The 46-year-old is a three-term Congressman representing Florida's 19th District and a strong ally of President Donald Trump.
Days ago, President Donald Trump endorsed Donalds for governor. The power play also might have undercut Ron DeSantis' plans to attain Trump's endorsement for his wife Casey DeSantis, who has been mentioned as a governor candidate.
Ron DeSantis didn't exactly embrace the idea of Donalds for governor.
As for now, Donalds appears to be the clear favorite for the governor's mansion based on Trump's coveted endorsement. Trump crushed Vice President Kamala Harris in Florida by 13 points last November and has a permanent base in Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach.
Trump also pushed out DeSantis in the presidential primary before he made it to the state. DeSantis dropped out of the race before the New Hampshire primary in late January and endorsed Trump.
Other potential Republican candidates for governor include Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson and former Rep. Matt Gaetz. Senate Minority Leader Jason Pizzo is rumored as a likely contender on the Democratic side.
But the betting favorite for now looks to be Donalds. Just don't expect Nikki Fried to put any money on it.
“Byron is only interested in power, and he won’t fix our property insurance crisis or bring down the cost of living for Floridians. He only has a shot at the nomination because Trump endorsed him, and Trump is only endorsing him because he wants a puppet in the governor’s mansion — pissing off Ron DeSantis is an added bonus," Fried added.
The primaries will take place in August 2026.
