Republican U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds will be Florida’s next governor.
The Associated Press has called the race, with Donalds leading Democrat David Jolly by around 1.5 percentage points with most votes counted. He will become Florida's first Black governor.
In 2022, Gov. Ron DeSantis won reelection by more than 19 points.
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ALSO READ: Donalds and Jolly aren't the only candidates for Florida governor. Here's the rest of the field
On the campaign trail, Donalds ran on making Florida more affordable by reducing property taxes, streamlining the development permit process and removing certain insurance premium surcharges. He called for strong immigration enforcement and greater government spending transparency.
Click here to read more from his campaign priorities page
Donalds had President Donald Trump’s endorsement and a massive fundraising advantage.
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His lieutenant governor will be Bryan Avila, a former state senator representing Miami.
The victory extends Republicans’ 28-year hold on the Florida governorship.
In his concession speech at the Tampa Convention Center, Jolly expressed hope for the future.
"To come up with 48 or 49 percent in a state where our own party only has 29 percent of the voters means that we have a coalition. We have a coalition that has emerged," he said.
"We can build a coalition that can break through the moneyed interest in our politics, that can break through the special interest, the vitriol, the ugliness," Jolly continued. "The reason the eyes of the nation are on Florida is because something special has happened in this state tonight."
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