The crowd at Republican Rep. Byron Donalds of Florida's 2026 gubernatorial campaign kickoff, ahead of the candidate's arrival on the podium, in Bonita Springs, Florida on March 28, 2025. (Fox News - Paul Steinhauser)
And pointing to the support from Trump, whose immense grip over the GOP is stronger than ever, he emphasized "having his endorsement, it’s a great thing to have, I’m glad I have it."
"And when he makes these choices, they tend to turn out well for his candidates," Donalds noted.
WHAT BYRON DONALDS TOLD FOX NEWS' LARA TRUMP
The campaign event, in Bonita Springs, comes as Florida first lady Casey DeSantis has acknowledged she is considering a 2026 Republican gubernatorial run of her own, to succeed her husband in Tallahassee.
DeSantis has repeatedly touted his wife's accomplishments as Florida first lady and framed her as a worthy successor.
Casey DeSantis, Florida's first lady, during a campaign event for her husband, Gov. Ron DeSantis, in Atlantic, Iowa, on Saturday, Jan. 13, 2024. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Asked about a possible face-off with Casey DeSantis, Donalds said "races take on a shape of their own, so we’ll see what actually happens."
"My mission is going to be focused on our future and the things that are necessary for Florida to go and to thrive and be prosperous for everybody. So that’s going to be my mission. We’ll see how the race shapes up," he added.
And Donalds said he aims to convey to voters that "I have a vision for their future and I think that when they hear it, they’re going to choose me."
The next campaign cash filing deadline in the Florida governor's race comes at midnight Monday, and a source in the congressman's political orbit predicted to Fox News that Donalds would "easily eclipse" the $1 million DeSantis raised in his first month as a gubernatorial candidate in his successful 2018 campaign to succeed Scott as governor.
"I think he’s going to show a really strong fundraising number," added another Florida-based Republican strategist, who asked to remain anonymous to speak more freely.
Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis, who is the Republican nominee in Tuesday's special congressional election in the state's 1st Congressional District. (Tiffany Tompkins/Bradenton Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
Republican Matt Gaetz, who won re-election in the district in last November's elections, resigned from office weeks later after Trump selected him to be his nominee for attorney general in his second administration.
Gaetz later withdrew himself from cabinet consideration amid controversy.
But it's the race in the 6th CD, which is located on Florida's Atlantic coast from Daytona Beach to just south of Saint Augustine and inland to the outskirts of Ocala, that is really raising concerns among some in the GOP.
The race is to succeed Republican Michael Waltz, who stepped down from the seat on Jan. 20 after Trump named him his national security adviser.
Republican state Sen. Randy Fine is facing off against teacher Josh Weil, a Democrat, in a multi-candidate field.
Florida state Rep. Randy Fine, a Republican from South Brevard County, who is running in Tuesday's special House election in the state's 6th Congressional District. (AP)
Weil grabbed plenty of national attention in recent weeks by topping Fine in the campaign cash battle by roughly a ten-to-one margin.
The cash discrepancy in the 6th CD race spurred GOP-aligned outside groups to make last-minute contributions in support of Fine in the closing days of the campaign, with conservative super PACs launching ads spotlighting Trump's support of Fine.
"I would have preferred if our candidate had raised money at a faster rate and gotten on TV quicker," Rep. Richard Hudson of North Carolina, the chair of the National Republican Congressional Committee, told reporters earlier this week.
But Hudson added that Fine is "doing what he needs to do. He’s on TV now."
And he emphasized, "We’re going to win the seat. I’m not concerned at all."
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Trump, pointing to Fine, on Friday acknowledged that "our candidate doesn't have that kind of money."
In the 1st District, where there is less concern by Republicans about losing the seat, Valimont topped Patronis in fundraising by roughly a five-to-one margin.
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