With Florida's Republican primary for governor less than 48 hours away, Rep. Byron Donalds spent Sunday racing between Palm Beach and St. Lucie counties, making his closing pitch to voters at a rally in Port St. Lucie and a get-out-the-vote event at the Embassy Suites in Boca Raton. Donalds, who has spent nearly six years in Congress after serving in the Florida House, centered his message on what he calls defending the Florida Dream, telling supporters the state needs to become cheaper for the people who live there.
According to CBS12, Donalds spoke for nearly an hour at the Boca Raton event, laying out plans to lower insurance costs and make healthcare more affordable and transparent. He told the crowd he believes insurance costs in Florida can be reduced by another 20%, and said he intends to reform the regulatory side of the state's insurance markets if elected. Donalds is seeking the GOP nomination to succeed term-limited Gov. Ron DeSantis, who cannot run again under Florida's term limits, and the congressman used part of his remarks to praise DeSantis' leadership over the past eight years.
Data Centers and Utility Bills Take Center Stage
Donalds told voters that Florida residents want assurances their utility bills will not keep climbing, and he laid out plans to balance continued growth with concerns surrounding data centers, including a pledge to keep large facilities away from residential neighborhoods and to protect the state's water resources. That local pitch echoes a federal bill he introduced weeks earlier: the Protecting Ratepayers Act, which would require data centers consuming five megawatts or more to generate their own off-grid power and water, according to Florida Politics.
He also renewed his promise to study Florida's property taxes and fees from top to bottom during his first year as governor if elected, a proposal that has already drawn institutional backing. Thirteen county property appraisers formally endorsed Donalds' tax audit plan earlier this month.
A Financial Blowout Over Rivals
Donalds enters the primary as the clear frontrunner, both in message discipline and in money. His campaign committee, Friends of Byron Donalds, has raised more than $103 million with nearly $70 million cash on hand heading into the vote, boosted by a $10 million contribution from Citadel founder Ken Griffin in July, per Florida Politics. Lt. Gov. Jay Collins, one of the Republican challengers Donalds faces alongside former House Speaker Paul Renner and businessman James Fishback, raised roughly $75,000 during the same reporting period, the outlet noted.
That financial gap has fueled tension over debates. Donalds skipped a July 2 online primary debate hosted on the PBD Podcast, leaving Collins, Renner and Fishback to spar without him after the state party canceled an official debate when Donalds was the only candidate to meet its $10 million qualifying threshold, according to WPEC.
Court Fight, Trump Endorsement Loom Over Final Days
The closing stretch of the race has also been shaped by legal maneuvering among Donalds' rivals. Leon County Circuit Judge David Frank ruled on July 27 that Fishback met Florida's residency standard and could stay on the ballot, rejecting a lawsuit from Collins that alleged Fishback failed the state's seven-year constitutional residency requirement, per WLRN.
Former President Donald Trump reaffirmed his complete and total endorsement of Donalds earlier this month, while DeSantis has withheld a formal endorsement and instead praised Renner's policy record, Florida Politics reported. Donalds has also broken with DeSantis on Amendment 3, a proposed constitutional amendment raising homestead tax exemptions, voicing concern it could revenue-starve smaller rural counties — a worry DeSantis has dismissed by arguing local governments should simply cut spending.
Florida's closed primary system required voters to register with a party at least 29 days before the election, meaning July 20 was the final deadline to declare or switch party affiliation ahead of Tuesday's vote, according to the Florida Department of State. Whoever wins the Republican nomination is expected to face David Jolly, a former Republican congressman who registered as a Democrat in 2025 and has emerged as the frontrunner in the Democratic primary with former Rep. Gwen Graham as his running mate.
