ORLANDO, Fla. — Congressman Byron Donalds is the Republican nominee for Governor, besting his three top Republican opponents by more than 20 points.
During his victory speech, Donalds pledged to stand behind law enforcement, reform property taxes if Amendment 3 fails and lower costs for Floridians.
“I will keep your taxes low. I will lower your insurance costs. I will protect school choice. I will stand with law enforcement. I will defend common sense when it comes to protecting our girls and our puberty and I will make Florida more affordable,” said Donalds.
Donalds has a major fundraising edge over Democratic Nominee David Jolly, with roughly 15 times the spending power in terms of cash on hand.
But with more than half of Republicans having cast their ballot for another Republican candidate in this Primary Election, the question now becomes whether Donalds can reunify the party.
Donalds said he’d received congratulatory calls from his opponents James Fishback and former Florida House Speaker Paul Renner, but the second-place candidate, Lieutenant Governor Jay Collins, was notably absent from the list.
We asked Donalds how he plans to bring the party back together over the coming months.
“Not really. I think, look, at the end of the day it’s about policy and it’s about principles in the Republican Party. Republicans want to know that you’re going to be committed to those principles of liberty. It’s that simple. I’m committed to them. I’m somebody who started that way 17 years ago in the Tea Party Movement. My principles haven’t changed,” said Donalds. ” I’ve always been committed to that. And also, you know, once we get into the General Election like we are right now people in our state, Republicans in particular, are going to see the contrast between myself and David Jolly.”
Jolly also got a slightly lower than expected share of the vote tonight, coming in at about 60 percent support.
Unlike Donalds, Jolly did not face any major or well-funded challengers, suggesting both parties may have their work cut out for them moving into the General.
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