Byron Donalds Scores Landslide GOP Primary Win, Fishback Crushed

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP/VINnews) — U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds won the Republican nomination for Florida governor Tuesday night, easily defeating his challengers in a landslide victory and advancing to the November election with President Donald Trump’s endorsement behind him.

With about 13% of the vote counted, Donalds had 49.6%, nearly double the support of Lt. Gov. Jay Collins, who had 27.2%. Former Florida House Speaker Paul Renner had 8.4%, while James Fishback was a distant fourth with 7%, according to Decision Desk HQ.

Fishback’s showing amounted to a landslide defeat for the political newcomer, who had sought to emerge as a major conservative alternative to Donalds.

Donalds, who is seeking to become Florida’s first Black governor, had campaigned heavily on his conservative credentials and Trump endorsement. His decisive victory gives Trump’s preferred candidate a clear path toward the November election in his adopted state.

Democrats nominated former Republican congressman David Jolly, who switched parties last year, for the governor’s race.

The primary was closely watched as a test of Trump’s influence over Florida Republicans and Democrats’ efforts to regain ground in a state that has shifted sharply to the right in recent years.

Florida voters also chose nominees in a special U.S. Senate election to complete Marco Rubio’s term after Rubio became Trump’s secretary of state. Republican Sen. Ashley Moody, appointed by DeSantis and endorsed by Trump, was seeking the GOP nomination.

Democrats were choosing between state Rep. Angie Nixon and retired Army Lt. Col. Alex Vindman, a former National Security Council official who testified during Trump’s first impeachment.

Congressional primaries were also being held under Florida’s newly redrawn maps, which are designed to strengthen Republican prospects in November.

One of the most closely watched contests was in South Florida, where longtime Democratic Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz faced several challengers, including former Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, in a newly drawn district with a plurality Black electorate.

With the primary results now largely set, Florida’s November elections will feature a high-profile gubernatorial contest between Donalds and Jolly, while Republicans seek to maintain their dominance in a state that has become increasingly conservative.