More than 150 local elected officials across Florida have thrown their support behind U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds in his campaign for governor, with the endorsements announced in Naples as a coordinated show of grassroots backing ahead of Election Day. The coalition spans mayors, town commissioners, council members, school board members, county constitutional officers and prosecutors from counties including Pinellas, Brevard, Sarasota, Calhoun, Suwannee, Lake and Polk.
According to the Tampa Free Press, 156 local elected officials across Florida have endorsed Donalds in his bid for governor, with the general election scheduled for November 3. The newly announced group includes more than 30 current mayors and vice mayors, among them Pensacola Mayor D.C. Reeves, Doral Mayor Christi Fraga, Coral Gables Mayor Vince Lago and Cape Coral Mayor John Gunter. Also on the list are Fourth Judicial Circuit State Attorney Melissa W. Nelson and Sixth Judicial Circuit Public Defender Sara Mollo, alongside school superintendents including Clay County's David S. Broskie, Franklin County's Steve Lanier and Lee County's Denise M. Carlin.
Pinellas County Delivers a Deep Bench of Support
Pinellas County has emerged as a particular stronghold for Donalds, with more than 25 elected officials there lining up behind his campaign, according to Florida Politics. That group includes the county's State Attorney, Public Defender, Clerk of the Circuit Court, Tax Collector and Property Appraiser, plus four County Commissioners, a School Board member, and the mayors of Clearwater, Largo, Seminole, Oldsmar, Treasure Island, St. Pete Beach and Belleair Bluffs. Clearwater Mayor Bruce Rector is among those named in the rollout.
The Floridian separately reported that Donalds has received more than 25 endorsements from Pinellas County leaders, including mayors, county commissioners, city council members and school board officials, naming Pinellas County Commissioner Kathleen Peters, Clearwater City Councilman Michael Mannino and Pinellas County Commissioner Chris Scherer among the backers. The outlet's coverage adds to the picture of a county-level coalition that has steadily built since earlier reporting on the Pinellas endorsements in May, when Florida Voice News described the show of local support as reflecting growing momentum for Donalds' campaign in a key battleground area.
Jacksonville Council President Cites Fiscal Record
Jacksonville City Council President Nick Howland also endorsed Donalds for governor, saying he knew Donalds' commitment to fiscal responsibility, accountability and creating opportunity for Florida families. Howland said Donalds supports veterans and growing Florida's space economy. Donalds, for his part, described the campaign as grassroots-powered and driven by local leaders across Florida, saying local officials are whom Floridians call when something needs fixing and pledging to work alongside them as governor to keep Florida safe, affordable and free.
Donalds is a Trump-endorsed Republican, according to Florida Voice News, running in a primary against Lt. Gov. Jay Collins, former House Speaker Paul Renner and businessman James Fishback. The Floridian reported that the GOP primary is scheduled for Aug. 18, and that outlet's reporting also forms the basis for several of the Pinellas-area endorsements cited above.
Fundraising and Policy Positions Fuel the Campaign
The Pinellas rollout adds to what Florida Politics describes as a sprawling endorsement operation Donalds has built since launching his bid in March 2025. The same outlet reported that Donalds has support from 17 members of Florida's congressional delegation, 27 sheriffs and roughly three-quarters of the House Republican caucus, and that he posted a record $22.2 million fundraising haul in the first quarter of 2026, pushing his total past $67 million. Recent polling cited in that reporting showed him commanding 54 percent of likely GOP primary voters.
On policy, Donalds has spotlighted veterans' issues, advocating that veterans be allowed to use GI Bill benefits to start small businesses, along with expanding VA clinic support and digitizing medical records, per Florida Voice News. He has also pointed to permitting costs, which he said account for about 30 percent of new-home construction expenses, calling for streamlining regulations to ease housing barriers. Florida Voice News has separately described Donalds as the front-runner for the GOP nomination in the 2026 gubernatorial race.
