Florida governor 2026

Compare candidates running in this Florida federal race. Review their positions, voting records, campaign promises, and donor information.

Jerry Demings

Party: Democrat

David Jolly

Party: Democrat

Byron Donalds

Party: Republican

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governor

Florida governor

Election: Nov 3, 2026Updated: Apr 10, 2026
lean r— 2026 election context - Republicans control governorship, both legislative chambers, and hold 1.2 million more registered voters than Democrats

Florida's 2026 gubernatorial race is critical because the state has shifted significantly rightward, no Democrat has won statewide office in recent years, and Republicans have made historic gains in traditionally Democratic strongholds like Miami-Dade County. The outcome will signal whether Republicans can consolidate their advantage or if Democrats can recover in what was once America's premier swing state.

Jerry DemingsD
David JollyD
Byron DonaldsR

Summary

Jerry Demings, age 66, is the Orange County Mayor (since 2018) and the first African American elected to that position. A 37+ year law enforcement veteran, Demings served as Orlando Police Chief (1998-2002, becoming the first African American to hold the post) and Orange County Sheriff (2009-2018). He is married to former U.S. Congresswoman Val Demings, who was the 2022 Democratic U.S. Senate nominee. Demings filed to run for governor on November 3, 2025, launching his campaign on November 6, 2025, calling it his 'I believe campaign' emphasizing his law enforcement experience and affordability agenda.

David Jolly, age 52, is a former U.S. Representative for Florida's 13th Congressional District (2014-2017) who left the Republican Party in 2018 and officially registered as a Democrat in April 2025 ahead of his gubernatorial bid announced in June 2025. An attorney and political analyst for MSNBC, Jolly is a vocal critic of Donald Trump and has positioned himself as a moderate Democrat emphasizing affordability, campaign finance reform, and pragmatic governance over partisan division. He has raised over $5 million as of April 2026 and leads in Democratic primary polling against Jerry Demings.

Byron Donalds, born 1979, is a U.S. Representative for Florida's 19th Congressional District (elected 2020) and the Republican frontrunner in the 2026 gubernatorial primary, endorsed by President Donald Trump in February 2025. A financial adviser before his political career, Donalds has positioned himself as Trump's chosen successor in Florida, emphasizing immigration enforcement, law-and-order policies, and economic issues. He has raised over $67 million for his campaign as of April 2026, the most ever for a non-incumbent Florida gubernatorial candidate in a primary year.

View Jerry Demings's Full Profile →View David Jolly's Full Profile →View Byron Donalds's Full Profile →

Campaign Promises

Economy
  • Make life more affordable for Florida families
  • Improve transportation and infrastructure
  • Increase wages for low-wage workers
Public-Safety
  • Reduce crime and improve public safety
  • Invest in first responders
Economy
  • Fix Florida's property insurance and affordability crisis
Healthcare
  • Restore reproductive freedom and codify Roe v. Wade
Education
  • Invest in public education and reform school voucher system
  • Get politicians out of classrooms and doctor's offices
Other
  • Strengthen campaign finance and ethics laws
Environment
  • Protect environment and address climate change
Economy
  • Fix Florida's property insurance crisis
Education
  • Protect and expand education opportunities
Environment
  • Restore the Everglades
Immigration
  • Maintain 'America First' policies on immigration and law enforcement

Key Issue Positions

Law Enforcement and Public Safety
Experienced law enforcement leader with track record of reducing crime through community engagement and modern policing
As Orlando Police Chief, Demings worked to bring Orlando together after 9/11 and built community trust. As Sheriff, he deployed body-worn cameras early, modernized equipment, and reduced crime significantly. He led Orange County through the 2016 Pulse Nightclub massacre.
Affordability Crisis
Focus on making Florida affordable for working families through housing, transportation, and wage investments
Demings has proposed $160 million over 10 years for affordable and workforce housing as Orange County Mayor, addressing the affordability crisis as his central campaign message.
Immigration Enforcement
Complex: As Orange County Sheriff, Demings signed a controversial 287(g) agreement with ICE allowing local law enforcement to enforce federal immigration law
Demings' 287(g) agreement has drawn criticism from immigration advocates who see it as enabling deportations, though Demings has characterized it as part of public safety responsibilities.
Affordability and Housing Crisis
State catastrophe fund for property insurance, affordable housing investment, property tax reduction through block grants
Jolly argues the private insurance market in Florida has collapsed and proposes a state fund to cover catastrophic losses, potentially saving homeowners 60% on insurance. Emphasizes workforce housing development.
Campaign Finance and Government Corruption
Support public financing of elections, reduce corporate influence, strengthen transparency and ethics enforcement
Jolly was featured on 60 Minutes for his work on government corruption. In 2016, he introduced the bipartisan 'Stop Act' to prohibit federal elected officials from directly fundraising, believing members of Congress spend too much time raising money.
Reproductive Rights
Restore and codify Roe v. Wade, end six-week abortion ban
Jolly has shifted his position from his Republican days when he was pro-life, now supporting women's right to choose and full restoration of abortion access prior to fetal viability.
Gun Safety
Support gun safety legislation while allowing lower corporate taxes
Jolly has stated: 'I'm for lower corporate taxes because I think it leads to greater economic growth. But I'm more for gun safety legislation because I think that reduces violence in our state.'
Property Insurance Reform
Aggressive reform to address the property insurance crisis caused by excessive litigation, insolvency, and rate hikes
Donalds supports tort reform and measures to stabilize the insurance market while protecting homeowners.
Immigration and Border Security
Strong border enforcement, oppose sanctuary cities, treat cartels as terrorist organizations
Aligned with Trump's hardline immigration stance; supports treating Mexican drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations.
Education and School Choice
Support school choice expansion, parental rights, and conservative education policies
Authored legislation creating the Hope Scholarship for education savings accounts.

Top Donors

No donor data available.

No donor data available.

Trump endorsement (valued at significant polling boost)
N/AIndividual
President Trump endorsed Donalds in February 2025; subsequent polling showed his support swelled from 39%-26% to 68%-10% when Trump endorsement mentioned
Leading the Future (pro-AI Super PAC)
$5 millionSuper PAC
Pledged support in February 2026 backed by OpenAI and Andreessen Horowitz founders opposing DeSantis' AI legislation
Americans for Prosperity Action
UnspecifiedOrganization
Endorsed Donalds and committed grassroots support for his campaign

Contradictions

No contradictions documented.

Claim: As a Republican, Jolly voted consistently with GOP positions on taxes, regulation, and other conservative priorities during his 2014-2017 House service
Contradiction: Jolly now supports positions contradicting his Republican record: he supports abortion rights (previously pro-life), gun safety legislation (previously opposed), public campaign financing (previously pro-private funding), and climate science (previously skeptical). He acknowledges these are genuine ideological shifts.

No contradictions documented.

What Opponents Say

Byron Donalds (Republican primary front-runner)

Demings' plan for Florida is the same as progressive politicians elsewhere: 'more government and higher taxes.' These are the same policies that drove high prices under Biden.

Donalds criticism of Demings' affordability proposals as reflecting big-government Democratic ideology

Byron Donalds (Republican primary front-runner)

By switching from Republican to Independent to Democrat, Jolly has completed his transformation 'to become the next Charlie Crist,' a reference to the former Republican governor who switched parties and lost his 2022 gubernatorial bid by 19 points

Donalds campaign statement implying Jolly lacks authenticity and will suffer the same electoral fate as Crist

Republicans generally

Jolly's party switches (Republican to Independent to Democrat) show lack of principle and political flip-flopping rather than genuine ideological evolution

Conservative critics argue his shifts are opportunistic rather than principled

James Fishback (Republican primary opponent)

Criticized Donalds for supporting H-1B visas for skilled immigration while claiming to be tough on immigration

Fishback used this discrepancy in his campaign launch to differentiate himself from Donalds' position on skilled worker immigration

Endorsements

U.S. Rep. Darren Sotoindividual
Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyerindividual
Orange County Sheriff John Minaindividual
Coalition of Central Florida Democratic leadersorganization
Rev. Al Sharpton / National Action Networkorganization
Gwen Graham (former U.S. Representative and 2018 gubernatorial candidate)individual
Editorial boardsmedia
President Donald Trumpindividual
U.S. Senator Rick Scottindividual
House Speaker Mike Johnsonindividual
Elon Muskindividual
Charlie Kirk (Turning Point USA founder, since deceased)individual
Americans for Prosperity Actionorganization