It might be several months until the Florida gubernatorial primary, but a recent poll shows U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) with an already commanding lead in the Republican field.
The poll, conducted by Victory Insights, found Rep. Donalds with 45% support for the job, with former Florida House Speaker Paul Renner well behind at 2.7%, Lt. Gov. Jay Collins at 1.2%, and Azoria CEO James Fishback at 1.1%.
Another 49.9% remain undecided.
Renner is the only other candidate in the race. Neither Collins nor Fishback have yet declared, although the latter is expected to soon.
The poll comes as Donalds continues to earn support from a wide range of high-profile figures, including those outside of the political scope.
Phil Mickelson, a longtime professional golfer with six major championships, endorsed the congressman for governor in a social media post.
"You will make a great governor! Wishing you all the best," Mickelson wrote.
Another well-known name, Tesla CEO Elon Musk, endorsed Donalds for the position on social media this week. Musk has been a prominent figure in politics in recent years, including as the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) under the Trump administration before resigning in May.
"Congratulations, Byron!" Musk wrote in response to Donald's gubernatorial candidacy. "You certainly have my full support."
But it isn't all just celebrities for Donalds, who's looking to replace Gov. Ron DeSantis as the state's 47th governor next year.
Donalds has essentially the entire Florida Republican coalition behind him, including more than 60 members of the House and several in the Senate. He also has plenty of backing from Congress, including from U.S. Rep. Neal Dunn (R-FL).
In addition, Donalds has the support of U.S. Sens. Rick Scott (R-FL) and Ted Cruz (R-TX). And all of that might be stat padding at this point.
President Donald Trump announced his support of Donalds even before his initial run. Trump won Florida pretty handily in the 2024 presidential race.
That might be a mic drop for Donalds, who already appears to be lapping the field.
The Republican gubernatorial primary is Aug. 18, with the general election on Nov. 3.
