Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Fla.) backed Rep. Byron Donalds’s (R-Fla.) bid for governor on Thursday, changing into the most recent Republican to throw their assist behind the congressman.
“Byron Donalds is a principled conservative leader who Floridians can trust as their next governor,” Johnson instructed Politico.
“In Congress, Byron has been tenacious in standing up for Florida and President Trump’s America First agenda. I have no doubt he will bring that same fighting spirit with him as governor.”
Donalds already has the backing of President Trump, who publicly urged him to run for governor shortly earlier than Donalds introduced his bid in February. Final month, Florida Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-Fla.) grew to become the primary member of the state’s congressional delegation to again the congressman for governor.
Donalds formally kicked off his gubernatorial marketing campaign final week at a launch rally in Bonita Springs, Fla. He’s the primary main Republican to enter the GOP main for the governor’s mansion. On Tuesday, Donalds’s crew introduced he raised $12 million within the first 35 days of his marketing campaign.
Nonetheless, questions stay over whether or not Florida first girl Casey DeSantis will bounce into the race. DeSantis and her husband, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.) have repeatedly floated her as a possible candidate.
In accordance, to a ballot printed final month by the College of North Florida’s Public Opinion Analysis Lab, 57 % of registered Republicans stated they’d a positive view of DeSantis. Donalds had a 27 % favorability ranking.
Nonetheless, an inner ballot from Donalds’s marketing campaign pollster Fabrizio Lee and Related launched final week confirmed Donalds with a 34 % to 30 % lead over DeSantis.
