Donalds, Jolly to face off for governor as Florida’s statewide races are set

The stage is set for the November general election, with Florida voters choosing the major parties’ nominees for statewide office.

U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds won the GOP governor's primary. President Donald Trump endorsed him, and he's raised a massive amount of money.

"So I ask you: Are you with me to keep Florida red?" Donalds said at an Orlando election night party. "Are you with me to keep Florida free? Then let's get out and build a state that's truly accountable, achievable and affordable."

He beat out Lt. Gov. Jay Collins, investor James Fishback, and former House Speaker Paul Renner.

But it's yet to be seen if he'll beat the Democratic gubernatorial nominee, David Jolly, a former Republican U.S. representative who left the party over Trump.

"The values that hold us together are big enough to build a coalition tonight to win the governorship in November," Jolly said at his Miami Lakes election night party.

Jolly had no significant challengers in the primary, after Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings dropped out for health reasons.

A Democrat hasn't been Florida's governor since January 1999.

Six no-party-affiliation candidates and a Libertarian will also be on the general election ballot for governor.

Complete statewide results from the Florida Division of Elections

Chief Financial Officer

Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia will face Democrat Annette Taddeo, a former state senator.

Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed Ingoglia to the position after the former officeholder, Jimmy Patronis, went to Congress.

Click here to learn what the CFO does

Before that, Ingoglia was a GOP state senator from Hernando County and a staunch DeSantis ally. He once served as chair of the Republican Party of Florida.

As CFO, he's traveled the state to highlight what he calls excessive local government spending.

Taddeo filled a Miami-Dade County state Senate seat from 2017 to 2022. She was also the Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor in 2014, running on Charlie Crist's ticket.

Commissioner of Agriculture

Incumbent Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson will take on Democrat Joey Mendoza Atkins, a trial attorney and sports agent.

"Some of my proudest work stems from my work in providing legal aid to migrant farmworkers and DACA recipients," wrote Atkins on his campaign website.

Simpson, a Republican, was elected agriculture commissioner in 2022 after serving a decade in the Florida Senate, including a two-year term as Senate president.

The commissioner oversees Florida’s agriculture industry, food safety and consumer protection
— and more.

U.S Senate (and an upset)

U.S. Sen. Ashley Moody will face Rep. Angie Nixon, D-Jacksonville, who is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America.

She beat Democrat Alex Vindman, a retired Army lieutenant colonel who testified during Trump’s first impeachment. Vindman had substantially outraised her.

Click here to read more about Vindman and Nixon
Click here to read more about Moody

DeSantis appointed Moody, who was serving as Florida's attorney general, to the position after former Sen. Marco Rubio became Trump's secretary of state.

Attorney General

There was no primary in Florida's attorney general race, with only one GOP and one Democratic candidate.

DeSantis-appointed Attorney General James Uthmeier is matched against Democrat José Javier Rodríguez, a former state senator.

Florida's attorney general is the state's chief legal officer. The seat opened up after Moody left for the U.S. Senate.

If you have any questions about state government or the legislative process, you can ask the Your Florida team by clicking here.

This story was produced by WUSF as part of a statewide journalism initiative funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.