Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is finally backing Rep. Byron Donalds to replace him in Tallahassee, putting a public show of Republican unity over a political relationship that has been noticeably chilly since Donalds sided with Donald Trump over DeSantis.
At Tuesday night’s Republican Party of Florida leadership forum in Tampa, DeSantis endorsed the GOP’s statewide ticket, including Donalds, who won the August gubernatorial primary. “I’m endorsing the slate here tonight … because I know it’s important for the state of Florida,” DeSantis said, according to Fox News. Donalds quickly celebrated the endorsement on X.
Tonight I was honored to earn Governor @RonDeSantis’s endorsement, Governor DeSantis has done incredible work to make Florida the envy of America.
The friendly tone is a sharp contrast with where the two Florida Republicans stood earlier in the race. When Trump first threw his support behind Donalds, DeSantis declined to follow him. The governor instead questioned Donalds’ record, saying the congressman “hasn’t been a part of any of the victories that we’ve had here over the left.”
Florida Republicans Still Have Plenty to Say
The tensions did not disappear simply because Donalds won the nomination.
Some conservative X users unhappy with the primary result continued venting as Florida Republicans moved toward November. One called Donalds the “Biggest downgrade in American political history” while another complained directly to Donalds, “Florida didn’t win it for you. You got it as a gift.” A supporter of defeated candidate Jay Collins was even harsher toward DeSantis, asking why he had not endorsed Collins earlier and complaining that Republicans were now “stuck with” Donalds.
Donalds has acknowledged that his relationship with DeSantis cooled after he supported Trump in the 2024 Republican presidential primary. Now that Donalds is the nominee, however, both men appear ready to put that history aside.
DeSantis called Republican apathy the party’s enemy Tuesday and urged voters to turn out in November. Donalds, meanwhile, is promising to build on the very DeSantis record he was once accused of having little role in creating.
