Byron Donalds Could Become The First Black And First Caribbean Heritage Florida Governor 

News Americas, FORT LAUDERDALE, FL, Weds. Aug. 19, 2026: Florida’s primary night delivered a split verdict for Caribbean political ambitions: one historic win and one hard defeat. U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds, whose mother is of Jamaican and Panamanian heritage, cruised to victory in the Republican primary for Florida governor. If he wins in November he will make history as the first black governor of the state and the first with Caribbean heritage.

Backed by the President and Trinidad-born rapper Nicki Minaj, and with a fundraising advantage exceeding $100 million, Donalds defeated Lt. Gov. Jay Collins and a crowded field of Republican challengers with 47.8 percent of the votes, to become the GOP nominee. If he wins in November against the chosen Democratic nominee, David Jolly, the 47-year-old Naples congressman would become Florida’s first Black governor and the first with Caribbean roots.

Born in Brooklyn and raised by a single mother, Donalds moved to Florida for college, graduating from Florida State University before working in banking and insurance, then winning election to the state House in 2016 and Congress in 2020. “I am grateful to my family, my team, my volunteers, and every Floridian who powered us to this victory,” he stated on Tuesday night. “Now is the time for the Republican Party to unite. By working together, we can make Florida more affordable and defend the Florida Dream for our families, seniors, and young.”

The night’s outcome was far less celebratory in Florida’s Congressional District 20, a seat represented by Black lawmakers for 34 consecutive years. Jewish-heritage Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, the former DNC chair who decided to run in the district after Republican-led redistricting eliminated her old seat, won the Democratic primary decisively, taking roughly 45.3% of the vote.

Jamaica-born Dale Holness finished a distant second at 23.1%, falling short in his third attempt at the seat after previously losing a 2020 special election by just five votes. Former Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, who resigned from the same seat in April rather than face expulsion over federal charges that she stole $5 million in FEMA disaster funds, and then ran again, trailed badly in her attempted comeback, along with candidates Luther Campbell and Elijah Manley.

Wasserman Schultz’s decision to run in a district long held by Black representatives drew criticism throughout the campaign. Four of her rivals reportedly discussed consolidating support behind fewer candidates to avoid splitting the district’s Black vote, but no agreement was reached before the qualifying deadline. She will face Republican nominee Brent Andersen and independent Kedner Maxime in November.

Results in Florida’s 24th Congressional District, where former Miami-Dade Commissioner and Haitian-born Jean Monestime and Haitian-born physician Dr. Rudolph Moise both sought to become the first Haitian American to represent the district, showed the win went to Oliver Gilbert who will likely succeed retiring Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-Fla.). Wilson endorsed Gilbert in June, saying at an event in Miami Gardens that the district needs “somebody who’ll fight just like I fought,” Florida Politics reported. He secured 34.4 percent of the votes.

However, former Sen. Daphne Campbell, who was born in Haiti, is likely heading back into elected office after clinching victory in a three-way Democratic Primary for the open seat representing House District 108.

Campbell took 46% of the vote to defeat real estate and tax pro Dinah Escarment and lawyer Peter Walsh, who had 42% and 12% of ballots cast in their favor, respectively. She’ll now face Republican Wancito Francius – a perennial candidate whose frequent party switching inspired a state law tightening qualifying rules – in the Nov. 3 General Election to decide who succeeds outgoing Democratic Rep. Dotie Joseph. Francius faces long odds in a district that gave Joseph 92% of the vote in 2018, the last time someone other than a Democrat ran there.