Sixty-three members of the Florida House of Representatives are getting behind U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) in his Florida gubernatorial bid, which is further sign that the party is coalescing behind the frontrunner with the election still more than a year away.
"Before Congress, I served as a State Representative. Today, I am honored to announce that my campaign for Governor has received the support of 63 members of the FL House of Representatives - 75% of the FL House GOP Caucus," Donalds shared on social media.
The list of House endorsements for Rep. Donalds includes the following:
- Rep. Yvette Benarroch (R-Marco Island)
- Rep. Meg Weinberger (R-Palm Beach Gardens)
- Rep. Judson Sapp (R-Green Cove Springs)
- Rep. Tyler Sirois (R-Merritt Island)
- Rep. Berny Jacques (R-Seminole)
- Rep. Tobin "Toby" Overdorf (R-Palm City)
- Rep. Juan Porras (R-Miami)
- Rep. Alex Andrade (R-Pensacola)
- Rep. Jenna Persons-Mulicka (R-Naples)
- Rep. Fiona McFarland (R-Sarasota)
Donalds, who served in the House from 2016 to 2020, was congratulated by several members of his former chamber following the announcement, including House Speaker Danny "Daniel" Perez (R-Miami).
“President Trump endorsed Byron Donalds for Governor for the same reason that Floridians will overwhelmingly elect him to serve as our next Governor: He will fight for our families and our state," Perez expressed in a statement. "He will make Florida government work for our people, not for himself. I am excited to endorse a true conservative champion to be our next Governor.”
Rep. Porras also congratulated Donalds on the support.
“Last year, I was the first State Representative to endorse Donald Trump and few men stood with the President as staunchly as Byron Donalds," Porras said. "Today, I am honored to be the first in the State House to endorse him to be the next Governor of Florida.”
Rep. Benarroch also celebrated the political momentum, saying that "there's no one better to keep our state strong." "He’s a proven fighter for conservative values, 2A rights and Florida Families. Let’s keep the American Dream alive! Join me in supporting Byron Donalds for Florida Governor. Let’s get it done!,” he added.
Earlier this week, U.S. Rep. Neal Dunn (R-FL) endorsed Donalds in his bid to become Florida's 47th governor next November. Similar to the House, Donalds is backed by several members of Congress, including a large majority of the Florida coalition.
