Florida Rep. Byron Donalds announces plans to run for governor --President Trump previously encouraged Donalds to "RUN, BYRON, RUN!" | 25 Feb 2025 | Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., announced plans to run for Florida governor next year during an interview on Fox News's Hannity Tuesday night. The next Florida gubernatorial election is slated for Nov. 3, 2026. Speaking to host Sean Hannity, Donalds said he came to the decision to run "after a lot of prayer [and] a lot of thoughts with my family and my friends." "Sean, we have a wonderful state," Donalds said. "I got to Florida when I was 17 years old, off of a Greyhound bus with just a trunk full of clothes. And over the rest of my time in Florida, I built a family, I built a career...I was able to serve four years in a state legislature, four years in Congress. And I think now is the time to now take the mantle and lead our state into the future."