Florida congressman Byron Donalds told a conservative audience Friday to “stay tuned” after President Donald Trump said he’d endorse the Naples Republican in a run for governor in 2026.
Appearing at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference in Maryland, Donalds said he’d “had an interesting 12 hours. "
Part of that time was watching one of his sons play high school basketball. Another part was getting a call from Trump to discuss the president’s Truth Social post, in which Trump wrote “Donalds would be a truly great and powerful governor for Florida and, should he decide to run, will have my complete and total endorsement. Run, Byron, Run!”
Donalds, 46, said his response was, “I just want to say Mr. President, thank you, and I will never let you down.”
He later told the crowd, “And as for me, stay tuned.” Donalds also posted on X that an announcement was “coming soon.”
A third-term U.S. House member and former state legislator, Donalds has often been mentioned among potential GOP 2026 gubernatorial candidates.
On Thursday night, following Trump’s endorsement on social media, Donalds hinted his political intentions.
“I'm committed to working with him to Keep Florida Great,” Donalds wrote on X. “Announcement coming soon!”
Other names that have been floated as possible candidates include state Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson, former congressman Matt Gaetz, U.S. Sen. Ashley Moody and Florida first lady Casey DeSantis.
Gov. Ron DeSantis' final term ends in January 2027. He was first elected in 2018 and took office Jan. 8, 2019, then was reelected in 2022.
President Trump is Making America Great Again.
— Byron Donalds (@ByronDonalds) February 21, 2025
I'm committed to working with him to Keep Florida Great.
Announcement coming soon! pic.twitter.com/Bimj712vIL
For his first election in 2020, Donalds won a nine-way Republican primary. He then defeated his Democratic opponent to succeed retiring Republican Rep. Francis Rooney.
A native of Brooklyn, Donalds was raised by a single mother and graduated from Florida State University in 2002, according to his congressional website. He was working as a financial adviser when he was appointed to the board of trustees at a state college by then-Gov. Rick Scott, which helped elevate his profile in Florida’s GOP circles.
In 2018, during the Republican primary, Trump's gubernatorial endorsement of Ron DeSantis — who was then a little-known congressman — catapulted him past former Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam, the GOP frontrunner.
Information from WLRN was used in this report.
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