Byron Donalds wins Florida governor race, becoming state's first Black governor
Why it matters: Donalds will succeed term-limited Ron DeSantis and keep Republicans in control of the nation's third most populous state.
Republican Rep. Byron Donalds defeated Democrat David Jolly in Florida's closely watched governor's race, according to race calls by the Associated Press and Fox News. Donalds, 48, is set to become Florida's first Black governor and, Fox News reported, the first Black Republican elected governor in U.S. history. He will replace term-limited Gov. Ron DeSantis after a campaign centered on affordability issues including housing, inflation and insurance. Donalds had backing from President Donald Trump and campaigned on continuing DeSantis' conservative agenda. Jolly, a former Republican congressman who later became a Democrat, also focused on costs for voters.