Florida GOP Gubernatorial Hopeful Byron Donalds Targets Black Voters in Bid for Historic Win

MIAMI — For nearly a decade in Congress, Republican Rep. Byron Donalds of Florida rarely highlighted his racial identity as a central pillar of his political platform. That approach shifted this past weekend as the gubernatorial nominee launched a series of targeted outreach events across the Miami area, seeking to cultivate support among Black voters who have historically skewed Democratic.

In an interview with CBS News, Donalds expressed confidence that he can secure more than 20% of the Black vote, arguing that many voters in this demographic are evaluating candidates based on leadership capability rather than party loyalty. “I think there’s a lot of Black voters who are looking at my campaign because they’re just trying to figure out who’s going to be the best person to lead Florida into the future,” Donalds said. “I think the other thing with Black voters: they’re starting to not be as monolithically tied to the Democrat Party.”

For context, exit poll data from the 2022 gubernatorial race indicated that approximately 13% of Black voters supported Gov. Ron DeSantis, while President Donald Trump garnered roughly 15% of the Black vote in Florida during the 2024 presidential election.

Donalds is now adapting the surrogacy strategy he employed in 2024, when he co-headlined a multi-city tour with Rep. Wesley Hunt of Texas called “Congress, Cigars & Cognac.” Designed to foster informal dialogue with skeptical audiences, the tour was aimed at building support for Trump. Now running his own campaign, Donalds is applying that same playbook to his gubernatorial bid.

A victory would place Donalds in a rare tier of American political history. Only three Black individuals have ever been elected governor in the United States, and Donalds is one of three candidates this cycle who could become the first Black Republican governor.

When asked about the significance of potentially making history, Donalds acknowledged the moment with characteristic reserve. “It’s wild, honestly,” he admitted, a candid reflection from a candidate who has largely steered clear of identity-based appeals throughout his campaign.

Speaking at the Black Professionals Summit’s Legacy Con on Saturday, Donalds emphasized meritocracy over racial politics. “I don’t talk about my race in this campaign,” he told the audience. “Florida is a meritocracy… What they really care about now is: Can you get the job done?”

The summit organizers confirmed they also invited Democratic nominee David Jolly to speak, but he declined due to a scheduling conflict. Donalds pushed back against critics suggesting his outreach was a calculated, narrow gesture, asserting that his campaign is targeting every voter segment, from Black communities in North Miami and Broward County to Hispanic residents in Doral and Hialeah.

However, the connection to the Trump administration remains a liability for some voters. At a retail event at Lorna’s Caribbean Restaurant in Miami Gardens, Jermaine Woodside, 54, said he left the meeting more open to Donalds after an extended conversation but maintained that the congressman’s association with Trump was a significant drawback. “That’s going to hurt him,” Woodside said.

Donalds urged voters to focus on his policy proposals rather than his past endorsements. “Look at the issues I’m pushing forward,” he said. “Yes, the president’s endorsed me… But I’m running to be governor of Florida.”

Not all interactions were receptive. During an event in the predominantly Black Overtown neighborhood, protester Kalyn James held a sign reading “Vote Blue” with Donalds’ name crossed out. James expressed skepticism about the candidate’s authenticity, stating, “I just don’t think that he has a buy-in that he thinks he has… [his win] would make history, but I think he’d be on the wrong side of history.”

Jasmine Burney-Clark, founder of the voting rights group Equal Ground, offered sharper criticism, noting that Donalds refused to sign her organization’s pledge to support a Democratic-backed state voting rights bill—a commitment Jolly did make. Burney-Clark accused Donalds of using “manipulation tactics to pander” and asserted that “Black voters are not going to be fooled by his targeting.”

The outreach efforts come as recent polling indicates a competitive race for a governor’s office that Democrats have not won since the 1990s. For Donalds, the strategic calculus is straightforward: closing the gap with Black voters significantly complicates the Democratic path back to the governor’s mansion.