Another political heavyweight has lined up behind Congressman and Florida gubernatorial candidate Byron Donalds (R-FL) for governor. Sen. Rick Scott, who served two terms as Florida governor, endorsed Rep. Donalds to succeed Gov. Ron DeSantis in the 2026 election.
“I am proud to stand with President Trump and endorse Byron Donalds for Governor of Florida,” Scott said in a statement. “Byron is a principled conservative who will lead with courage and conviction and fight on behalf of every Floridian.”
Sen. Scott served as Florida's governor from 2011 to 2019. Term-limited, Scott became a U.S. senator in the Sunshine State by defeating incumbent Democrat Bill Nelson in 2018.
“I’ve been proud to work with him on critical legislation to make flood insurance more affordable and help Floridians rebuild and recover from catastrophic hurricanes,” Scott continued. “And during my time as Governor, he was a critical partner in securing billions of dollars in tax relief for Florida families.”
Rep. Donalds thanked Scott for his endorsement on social media.
"Thank you @ScottforFlorida for your support! You have been an incredible leader for our state and it's been an honor to fight alongside you on Capitol Hill," Donalds said. "As governor, I look forward to working with you and President Trump to strengthen Florida and Make America Great Again."
Scott's endorsement follows a growing list of support for Donalds as he looks to take over in Tallahassee next fall, including the biggest prize of them all in President Donald Trump.
Trump endorsed Donalds in February.
In addition, Donalds has received fellow congressional support from House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.), Republican Conference Chair Lisa McClain (R-Mich.), and House Republican Leadership Chair Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.).
Donalds' support among Florida officials is also as long as a CVS receipt, giving him a clear advantage over his Republican opponents in the governor's race. So far, no major challenger has jumped into the race, although State Sen. Jay Collins is thinking about it.
The Florida gubernatorial general election will be held on November 3, 2026.
