Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) is nearing the end of his gubernatorial run. In Florida, the Republican Party has grown stronger while the Democratic Party has grown weaker, but could that change by the 2026 midterm election? State Senator Jason Pizzo (D) and former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R) hinted at gubernatorial runs, setting up a possible hotly contested 2026 race.
Former Rep. Gaetz is hosting the Matt Gaetz show after withdrawing his name from consideration for Attorney General in the upcoming Trump Administration. The former Republican lawmaker went from leading the charge against House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R) to conversing with embattled New York Rep. George Santos (R) over makeup advice.
In recent comments however, the former lawmaker shared that he's "starting to think about running for governor," noting that the insurance crisis would be at the forefront of his policy. "I have a compelling vision for the state," former Rep. Gaetz commented, adding, "I understand how to fix the insurance problem, and it's not to hand the keys to the state over to the insurance industry."
"If I run, I would be the most pro-consumer candidate on the Republican side," he affirmed.
Another likely candidate is state Senator Pizzo, who's quickly gained popularity as a possible gubernatorial candidate. Democrats support the state senator while Republicans warn of the threat his candidacy could pose in a gubernatorial election.
On social media, the state senator responded to a report highlighting that former Rep. Gaetz was considering a gubernatorial run by commenting "and I will kick his a**."
And I will kick his ass. https://t.co/rfhIfWhfF4
— Sen. Jason Pizzo (@senpizzo) January 8, 2025
Florida Rep. Byron Donalds (R) also hinted that he would be launching a gubernatorial bid. Actually, Rep. Donalds will likely announce his gubernatorial candidacy after the 2025 legislative session in Florida, The Floridian has learned.
Rep. Donalds first made headlines after Florida Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R) shared a picture of the two attending a UFC event. She captioned the picture "with the next FL Governor."
With the next FL Governor @ByronDonalds 🏆! @ufc pic.twitter.com/r9aR0cC1M0
— Anna Paulina Luna (@realannapaulina) December 15, 2024
