The announcement comes after Donalds, a Naples Republican, got a critical endorsement from President Donald Trump, which may clear the Republican primary pool given Trump’s weight in Republican politics.

The president pledged to give Donalds his full endorsement, announcing it in a post on Truth Social on Thursday evening.

Were Byron Donalds to run for Florida governor, he'd handily beat opponents, according to a poll shared by Trump. What do SWFL residents think?

President Trump’s choice for Florida’s gubernatorial seat announces he’s running, while the current governor is pitching his wife as the most

Florida Republican Byron Donalds has joined the list of House members running for governor. The move was not a surprise, with President Donald Trump posting on social media last week that he would endorse the third-term congressman from Naples if he entered the race.

U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds enters the Florida governor’s race with President Donald Trump’s endorsement. Donalds has been a frequent Trump surrogate and was on the short list to be his vice

President Donald Trump made Rep. Byron Donalds the early frontrunner in Florida's 2026 gubernatorial race to replace term-limited Ron DeSantis, saying on Truth Social on Thursday that he would have his endorsement.

President Donald Trump previously threw his support behind Donalds in a post on Truth Social last week, saying in part, "Byron 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!"

In a new Truth Social post, Donald Trump spotlighted a January poll, first covered by Florida Politics, showing U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds with a massive lead over a hypothetical field of Republican opponents in the August 2026 Primary.