Congressman and Florida gubernatorial candidate Byron Donalds (R-FL) praised Gov. Ron DeSantis for his job as governor in a recent, exclusive interview with The Floridian publisher Javier Manjarres.
"If you talk to, especially Republican voters or voters overall in our state, they love Florida, they want it to continue on the trajectory that it's going, and that's to the credit of Governor DeSantis because he's done a great job leading the state," said Rep. Donalds. "The question is, are we going to continue on that trajectory? The answer is yes, we are."
Rep. Donalds, who's looking to replace Gov. DeSantis after next year's election, indicated his support for the governor's expected proposal on property taxes, which could have a tremendous impact if implemented amid growing affordability concerns from residents.
"We'll see what the governor and the legislature come up with. I'm supportive of what the governor wants to do. I do support that," Donalds said. "I think everybody at this point wants to see his plan, and I know that's going to come very shortly, because the legislative session is right around the corner."
Florida's legislative session begins on Jan. 13.
Donalds, endorsed by President Donald Trump in the race, also praised Gov. DeSantis and the Florida Legislature for their work on insurance reforms over the past several years. The governor also announced a plan to help Florida's auto insurance market just two months ago.
"We are going to keep that in place, we're not changing any of that," Donalds said. "It's important for people to understand, you've got to be consistent with those reforms, because the actuaries in the insurance companies - they need five years to be able to do a full look back to accurately assess the risk profile of Florida, writ large, and of property in Florida, understanding the new dynamics in state law."
While supported by President Trump, Donalds has yet to earn the endorsement of DeSantis as his replacement in the race. The pair have had a lukewarm relationship in the past, but that could change as time unfolds into 2026.
Until that changes, Donalds specified his own plans if elected, including strengthening Florida's housing market.
"We do need to modernize our permitting system. Building housing, it can't take two years to put a shovel in the ground. That's not going to work, it's not going to work for people," Donalds remarked. "You've got to allow homes to be built quickly and efficiently so that you can actually lower the cost burden on building housing," Donalds continued. "If you lower the cost burden on building housing, that's how you actually help to bring down costs for families in our state."
Moreover, Donalds indicated making Florida the financial capital of the world, including Cape Canaveral as the state's "crown jewel" for its tech boom.
"That brings high-paying jobs to our state, for our college students right now as they move into the workforce," Donalds said. "For people in the workforce right now who might be looking for the next job, something that pays more, you have to continue to add legs to the economic stool of Florida."
While advocating for tech, Donalds also promised to keep Florida's agriculture and tourism in high demand. Both industries are key to the state's economic viability.
"Adding finance, adding tech only brings more economic output to Florida, and when you have more economic output, a byproduct of that is not just more jobs, but also higher-paying jobs to help people in Florida afford Florida as we move into the future," Donalds said.
