Donalds, a rising star in the party who was once a contender for House speaker, is on the cusp of taking the big jump in his political career as a front-running contender to govern Trump’s adopted home state.

In Congress, he’s been part of the ultraconservative Tea Party caucus. Highly thought of by Republican colleagues, he won a few votes in early 2023 to become speaker of the Florida House. Following Trump’s lead, Donalds in January introduced a bill to end taxes on tips.

President Donald Trump made Rep. Byron Donalds the early frontrunner in Florida's 2026 gubernatorial race to replace term-limited Ron DeSantis, saying on Truth Social on Thursday that he would have his endorsement.