Rep. Byron Donalds speaks during his gubernatorial campaign kickoff, Friday, March 28, 2025, in Bonita Springs, Florida. (AP Photo/Chris Tilley)
Donalds, a staunch supporter and ally of President Donald Trump, announced his candidacy during an appearance on Fox News' "Hannity" late last month, days after landing the president's endorsement.
"Byron Donalds has hit the ground running with President Trump’s endorsement and has amassed a $12 million war chest since announcing his bid for Governor just 35 days ago. We are grateful to the thousands of donors supporting Byron’s vision for Conservative leadership," veteran Republican strategist Danielle Alvarez, who is helping Donalds, said in a statement.
FIRST ON FOX: LEADING CONSERVATIVE GROUP BACKS DONALDS IN FLORIDA
In a Fox News Digital interview on Friday, as he held his campaign kickoff in Bonita Springs, Donalds pledged that "we’re going to campaign hard and we’re going to take this to every part of Florida."
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.
Casey DeSantis, Florida's first lady, during a campaign event for Gov. Ron DeSantis in Atlantic, Iowa, on Jan. 13, 2024. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Asked about a possible face-off with Casey DeSantis, Donalds told Fox News Digital last week that "races take on a shape of their own, so we’ll see what actually happens."
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"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."
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https://www.foxnews.com/politics/scoop-trump-ally-donalds-showcases-campaign-cash-surge-since-announcing-florida-governor-run