Gov. Ron DeSantis announced his endorsement of Congressman and Florida gubernatorial candidate Byron Donalds (R-FL), Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, Florida Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Blaise Ingolia, and Florida Agricultural Commissioner Wilton Simpson while speaking at the Florida GOP Leadership Forum in Tampa this week.
"I'm endorsing the slate here tonight, even Blaise Ingoglia, because I know it's important for the state of Florida," DeSantis joked. "We have 60 however many more days to go out there and do it. I think apathy is our enemy, and if we're not apathetic and we understand we got a job to do, you know I think things will work out well."
Gov. DeSantis's endorsement of Rep. Donalds is particularly notable given his relationship with his potential successor leading up to Tuesday's event. DeSantis stopped short of campaigning for Donalds in the governor's race earlier this month and criticized him for "failing to defeat the far left" at a press conference in February 2025.
Rep. Donalds also admitted to having a lukewarm relationship with the governor in the past.
But that was then, and this is now.
Gov. DeSantis's support was essentially the last high-profile Republican hold out on Donalds in the race following endorsements from President Donald Trump, U.S. Sens. Rick Scott (R-FL) and Ashley Moody (R-FL), and virtually the entire Florida Congressional and State delegation.
Donalds praised DeSantis prior to his endorsement, He was joined by Attorney General Uthmeier, CFO Ingoglia, and Agricultural Commissioner Simpson on stage.
"First of all, Governor DeSantis, I want to thank you, sir, for all that you have done," Donalds said. "You've been a great governor. Thank you for all of your hard work."
Rep. Donalds is looking to become Florida's 5th straight Republican governor since January 1999. DeSantis was first elected in 2018 and re-elected in 2022 but cannot seek a third consecutive term under the Florida Constitution.
Democratic challenger David Jolly is looking to stop the streak. Florida's hasn't elected a Democrat governor since Lawton Chiles in 1994, or a span of over three decades.
"We are the best state in all of America; we are number one. We are number one because of great leadership that we have had in Florida," Donalds continued. "The mission is clear. The mission is to continue to be a state based on common sense, conservative policy that backs law enforcement and allows people to be free, and my mission as the state's next governor is to build on the success of Ron DeSantis to make sure that all of you can be free, and we continue to be the best state in all of America."
