Byron Donalds credits God, family for victory in Florida gubernatorial race
Florida Gov.-elect Byron Donalds joins ‘Fox & Friends’ to discuss his historic victory as the state’s first Black governor. Donalds explains his strategy for keeping Florida red, highlighting how residents fleeing blue states contributed to his campaign’s success. The Republican emphasizes his commitment to conservative policies and economic growth for all Floridians.
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Florida Governor-elect Byron Donalds told Fox News on Wednesday that he believes Americans’ frustrations about gas and diesel prices “boiled over” against Republicans on Election Day.
The Trump-backed Florida House Republican made the remark after being asked by “Fox & Friends” co-host Brian Kilmeade why he thinks so many people were unhappy with the first two years of the president’s second term. The Democrats took back control of the House and Senate during the midterms, including flipping governor seats in states such as Texas, Georgia and Ohio.
“I think, look, when you talk to people on the ground, gas prices are a major problem. I think people were looking at the price of gas, the price of diesel, and I think those frustrations boiled over,” Donalds said.
“I also want to look at, you know, in the United States Senate, there were some opportunities I think that were missed: not passing a Save America Act, not getting some of the key policies done, like putting through President Trump’s border security packages and codifying that into law. I think that stuff frustrated Republicans,” he continued.
“I think if you not just look in Florida, but look around the country, what I’m starting to see is that we have a lot of Republicans who either did not vote or decided to go and vote for Democrats. And I think there’s a frustration out there that we have a responsibility to address,” Donalds added. “And that’s something I’ll be talking about with my colleagues on Capitol Hill when I get back during this lame duck session. We’re also going to be laser-focused on that here in Florida moving forward.”
TRUMP-BACKED BYRON DONALDS MAKES HISTORY AS FLORIDA’S FIRST BLACK GOVERNOR
Republican gubernatorial candidate Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., speaks at an election night event Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, in Hollywood, Fla. (Rebecca Blackwell/AP)
Donalds attributed his success in the Sunshine State to a robust ground game, noting that his campaign knocked on over 2.2 million doors, and centering his election effort “on the issues that mattered to Floridians: insurance costs, housing costs, making sure kids were getting the best education possible.”
“I got to give a thanks to the people of Florida all throughout the state for supporting us. The people in the Panhandle, the Panhandle once again kept Florida as a conservative state. So we’re very grateful to the voters in the Panhandle,” Donalds told “Fox & Friends.”
DEMOCRAT GINA HINOJOSA STUNS ABBOTT, MAKES HISTORY AS FIRST LATINA TEXAS GOVERNOR
Florida Republican candidate for lieutenant governor Bryan Avila celebrates with Republican gubernatorial candidate Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., and Erika Donalds at an election night event Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, in Hollywood, Fla. (Rebecca Blackwell/AP)
“But we also want to talk to all the people of Florida. We have a mission. The campaign was not talking points. We are going to make Florida more affordable for the people of our state. We’re going to make sure that our kids can achieve their Florida dream here in Florida,” he added. “It was a tough fought victory last night. But we were able to win and be decisive. And now we get to the job of making sure that our state works for everybody.”
Donalds made history by becoming the first Black politician to win a gubernatorial election in Florida, and the first Black Republican in the nation’s history to be elected governor.
Donalds, a three-term representative from Southwest Florida, defeated Democratic rival former Rep. David Jolly.
Rep. Byron Donalds gestures to President Donald Trump as he speaks during an election rally at Alico Arena on the Florida Gulf Coast University campus on Oct. 23, 2026, in Fort Myers, Fla. Trump traveled to Florida to rally for local Republican candidates ahead of next week’s midterm elections. (Getty Images)
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Donalds was endorsed by Trump in February of last year, before he even formally launched his campaign for governor.
Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser and Morgan Phillips contributed to this report.