Florida voters made history by electing Republican Byron Donalds as the state’s first Black governor, while Democrat Angie Nixon narrowly missed becoming its first Black U.S. senator.
Donalds defeated Democrat David Jolly in the governor’s race. Nixon fell just short against Republican Sen. Ashley Moody in the special Senate election.
The results gave Florida one historic breakthrough and a close call in another, as two Black candidates from opposing parties pursued statewide office.
The stakes extended beyond Florida. Only three Black governors have been elected in American history, making Donalds’ candidacy part of a small group of races that reshape the country’s political landscape. Nixon, meanwhile, would have become the state’s first Black woman elected to the Senate and only the second woman Florida had sent to the chamber.
Donalds, 47, entered the governor’s race with the backing of President Donald Trump, who endorsed the congressman at a May rally in The Villages, declaring, “This guy’s gonna be a great governor,” according to Fox13.
The Brooklyn native previously served two terms in the Florida House before winning election to Congress in 2020. His campaign emphasized conservative priorities, including tax cuts, immigration enforcement, education changes and efforts to lower insurance costs.
Donalds has largely focused on affordability rather than the historic implications of his candidacy. After winning the Republican nomination in August, he spoke about the state’s future, saying, “The people of Florida want to make sure that the Florida dream is alive and well into the future,” he said. “Affordability is a problem for all Floridians. It doesn’t matter what your politics are. It doesn’t matter what the color of your skin is.”
His Democratic opponent, Jolly, attempted a different kind of political comeback. A former Republican congressman, he represented Florida in Washington from 2014 to 2017 before switching parties and entering the governor’s race.
Jolly pledged to focus on affordable health care, housing, and education; reduce gun violence; and restore services for veterans. He also faced the challenge of convincing Democratic voters that a former Republican can lead the party to victory in a state where a similar strategy fell short in 2022. That year, former Republican Gov. Charlie Crist lost to Ron DeSantis by nearly 20 percentage points.
A New York Times/Siena poll released last week showed Donalds leading Jolly by four percentage points, 48 percent to 44 percent.
The new governor will inherit considerable influence over Florida’s direction on healthcare, education and the balance of power between state and local governments.
Donalds supports Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo’s efforts to eliminate additional school vaccine requirements and has left open the possibility of keeping him in the position. Jolly, meanwhile, pledged to remove Ladapo on his first day and appoint someone who “embraces science and evidence-based public health.”
The candidates also differ over Florida’s universal school voucher program. Donalds strongly supports the system, while Jolly wants additional accountability requirements for private schools receiving public money.
On local government authority, Donalds supports expanding the governor’s ability to intervene in local affairs, while Jolly has argued that communities should retain greater control over their own decisions.
Nixon emerged as an unexpected contender after defeating former National Security Council aide Alex Vindman in August’s Democratic primary.
Vindman, a retired Army lieutenant colonel who testified during Trump’s first impeachment proceedings, had raised more than $16 million compared with less than $1 million for Nixon. But Nixon, a progressive Jacksonville lawmaker and former union organizer, won the nomination with 56% of the vote.
“We showed the world what organized people can accomplish,” Nixon told supporters after her victory, according to NBC. “And we showed the world what people of Florida are all about. Medicare for all. Universal child care. Real, affordable housing. Fully funded public education. And an end to senseless wars.”
Nixon has faced criticism over her membership in the Democratic Socialists of America and her positions on U.S. military assistance to Israel. She also criticized Moody’s record as Florida attorney general, including her handling of a Medicaid settlement that became part of a broader controversy involving the DeSantis administration.
Moody, who was appointed to the Senate after Trump selected Marco Rubio as secretary of state, retained the seat for the final two years of Rubio’s term. She accused Nixon of wanting to “destroy this country and everything that it is built on.”
“We are staring down crazy and the socialists today,” Moody said during her primary victory speech.
The Senate contest has become more competitive than initially expected. A late-October poll showed Moody leading Nixon, 49% to 45%, while election analysts shifted the race from “Safely Republican” to “Likely Republican,” according to reports.
The financial battle was also intense. Through Oct. 14, Moody had raised $14.5 million compared with Nixon’s $11.3 million, while outside groups had poured millions more into advertising for both candidates.
Supporters praised Nixon’s campaign and near upset in a MAGA stronghold, even as they expressed disappointment over her loss. Some argued that polls underestimated her support and viewed the close race as evidence of a Democratic wave.
Florida has not elected a Democratic U.S. senator since 2012. In 2022, Black Democratic congresswoman Val Demings lost to Rubio by approximately 16 percentage points as Republicans swept statewide races. The state’s Republican advantage has remained significant, with more registered Republicans than Democrats in this election.
Florida has come close to making history before. In 2018, Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum became the state’s first Black gubernatorial nominee after defeating better-funded opponents in the Democratic primary. He ultimately lost to DeSantis in the general election.
Gillum acknowledged the significance of potentially becoming Florida’s first Black governor. At the time, he said, “I have been really slow to try to think on it because it’s too big. There will absolutely be a part of this that I can’t even put words to about what it might mean for my children and other people’s kids, especially growing up for them in the age of Donald Trump.”
