On Thursday, House Speaker Mike Johnson endorsed Florida GOP Rep. Byron Donalds for governor in 2026, adding to a growing list of high-profile backers that already includes President Trump. Donalds enjoys widespread support within the MAGA movement, which has so far kept the Republican primary field narrow, with only one other contender—Surfside’s four-term mayor, Charles Burkett—entering the race.
“Byron Donalds is a principled conservative leader who Floridians can trust as their next governor,” Johnson told Politico. “In Congress, Byron has been tenacious in standing up for Florida and President Trump’s America First agenda. I have no doubt he will bring that same fighting spirit with him as governor.”
Donalds has also received endorsements from Donald Trump Jr. and Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk. In a post on Truth Social, Trump praised Donalds as a “total winner” who will help carry forward the America First agenda. “I know Byron well, have seen him tested at the highest and most difficult levels, and he is a TOTAL WINNER!” Trump wrote. “Byron Donalds would be a truly great and powerful governor for Florida, and should he decide to run, he will have my complete and total endorsement. RUN, BYRON, RUN!”
On March 2, Donalds argued that he was the right choice for governor, noting that Trump-endorsed candidates have “always worked out for the Sunshine State.” Later, on March 30, he added that there’s a “pretty good” chance current Gov. Ron DeSantis would back him as his successor. “A lot depends on what’s going to happen over the next couple of months,” he said during the Fox News appearance, adding that his conservative Republican political ideology aligns with the political beliefs of DeSantis.
So far, DeSantis has only subtly promoted his wife, Florida First Lady Casey DeSantis, as a possible contender. He’s praised her efforts in cancer research and behavioral health, while taking a swipe at Donalds, suggesting he hasn’t achieved much during his time in office. “All these people are chattering about her running. And what I said was, you know … she’s never angled for anything, right? Because that’s just not who she is,” DeSantis said while speaking to reporters last month. “But I will tell you this: she would do better than me. Like, there’s no question about that.”
