Hollywood—The 2026 Sunshine State Showdown put on by the Republican Party of Florida (RPOF) drew in the whose who of Florida politics, and while gubernatorial candidates, Rep. Byron Donalds and Lt. Gov. Jay Collins, drew much of the hype and attention at the event, it was the buzz surrounding State Rep. Meg 'MAGA Meg' Weinberger (R) and her meteoric rise in politics that all but stole the show.
Rep. Weinberger opened up the day-long event by sitting on a panel that included State Senator Erin Grall.
There aren't coincidences in politics, so Rep. Weinberger being tapped to head up the opening panel session was probably to tap into her 'MAGA Meg' aura.
The months-long rumors that Rep. Weinberger was on the short list to become Rep. Donalds' Lt. Governor may have been put to bed, considering that now some elected Republican officials are saying that they are hearing more and more chatter about Rep. Weinberger's being at the top of Rep. Donalds' list of potential picks for Lt. Governor.
Rep. Donalds has neither confirmed nor denied this rumor when asked. Apparently, Weinberger is being supported for the job by President Donald Trump himself, as well as individuals close to the process.
It goes without saying that if President Trump wants something or someone for an elected seat or role within the chess game of politics, he gets it, right?
Right.
Rep. Weinbeger was influential in a bill, HB 987, in February 2025, to rename a four-mile stretch of Southern Boulevard between Kirk Road and South Ocean Boulevard in Palm Beach County after the current and former president.
On January 16, 2026, Weinberger stood alongside President Trump at his home in Palm Beach, Mar-a-Lago, as he unveiled the signage of the newly-renamed thoroughfare.
Democratic gubernatorial candidate David Jolly recently announced that Gwen Graham would be his choice as Lieutenant Governor, so could Donalds be on the verge of announcing his running mate in the 2026 gubernatorial sweepstakes?
