U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds was speaking to a crowd of nearly 200 supporters at his first public campaign stop in Pensacola since announcing his run for Florida governor when his speech was interrupted by a phone call.
“Y’all, give me a second,” Donalds said as he was looking at this phone, as some in the crowd wondered aloud if it was President Donald Trump calling. “It’s my mom.”
Donalds took the phone call from his mother.
“Hi Mom,” Donalds said. “Mom, Mom, hold — I’m in the middle of a rally. Oh, you did? Mom let me do this, send me that page, and I’m going to make sure that we take care of it.”
After a little more back and forth Donalds put his mother on the speaker phone, and she greeted everyone.
“Hi, hello,” His mother said over the speaker phone. “Hi, everyone. Everyone, stay blessed and have a great rally.”
The crowd, which had packed the back deck at the Fish House restaurant, erupted in applause. The restaurant has been a favorite venue for Pensacola stops for decades for Republican candidates, both at the state and federal level, thanks to the owner, Collier Merrill, who is a large Republican donor.
“You better talk to your mom when she calls,” Donalds said.
Donalds said that the call wasn’t prearranged.
“This stuff is not pre-programmed. It just happens,” Donalds said. “My mom called me. She’s telling me about some stuff in Social Security. So I’ve got to be a good son and also a member of Congress to make sure I help my mom out.”
Donalds is a favorite for the Republican primary
Recent public polls show Donalds is a heavy favorite to win the GOP primary on Aug. 18, built largely on the endorsement of the president, which has drawn him other endorsements and record fundraising numbers for a state candidate.
The most recent Emerson College poll gave him a 42-point edge over his closest Republican rivals, Lt. Gov. Jay Collins, former House Speaker Paul Renner and hedge fund manager James Fishback.
Renner held a campaign event in Pensacola on April 17 as part of his statewide “Affordability Now” tour. But the Pensacola Republican establishment appears to have lined up behind Donalds.
U.S. Rep. Jimmy Patronis, Pensacola Mayor D.C. Reeves, Florida House Rep. Alex Andrade and Escambia County Commissioner Mike Kohler all spoke in support of Donalds at the event.
“The president would not have given him his endorsement if he didn’t love and trust this man,” Patronis said.
The News Journal also spotted Florida House Rep. Michelle Salzman, Escambia County Commissioner Steve Storberger and Santa Rosa County Commissioner Colten Wright among the audience.
Donalds says he wants to build on ‘conservative wins’ of previous Republican governors
Donalds’ campaign message is “Defending the Florida Dream,” which he says means preserving and building on the policies of past conservative governors from Jeb Bush to Ron DeSantis.
“We’re going to build on the conservative wins of the men who have led this state over the last 30 years, including the current occupant of the Florida governor’s mansion, Ron DeSantis,” Donalds said. “We are going to keep those wins in place, and we are going to build and prepare for the future of Florida.”
Donalds said 40 years ago, California was the state everyone was drawn to, but that progressive policies destroyed it.
“And today, Florida is what California used to be,” Donalds said. “So now everybody’s talking about the Florida dream, and they move here for it. But here’s the difference, as your next governor, the Florida dream is not—and I stress—not going away. The Florida dream is going to be bigger, badder and bolder than ever before.”
He said he would make sure that happens by encouraging smart growth while also protecting the environment and agricultural lands.
“The Panhandle needs a growth management plan just like South Florida needs a growth management plan,” Donalds said just as his mic cut out from a dead battery. He continued speaking while Patronis and Kohler scrambled to change out the battery pack on his microphone. “…We’ve got to be smart about the future of our state. Where are the affordable housing options going to go for our frontline workers?”
Donalds said he supports property tax reform and would back whatever proposal comes out of the Florida Legislature.
“The people of Florida are not piggy banks,” Donalds said. “They’re not piggy banks. We’re going to make sure that the sheriff’s department and the police departments, our firefighters, our emergency personnel, they’re going to get the salary and the wages and the support that they need. We’re going to make sure that happens. But at the same time, we’re going to make sure that your hard-earned money stays your hard-earned money.”
Donalds said he also supports continuing the Florida DODGE effort to audit both state and local governments. He added that he would back an “Amber Alert” system to alert people when their local government has been audited.
Donalds also addressed homeowners’ insurance and said people should not pay more for insurance than they pay for their mortgage and property insurance.
Florida showing signs of competitive general election
Donalds said it’s the conservative wins that have pushed Florida from being a Blue state to “The Red state” but there are signs Florida’s status as a swing state may be starting to reemerge.
The same poll that had Donalds up 42 points has Democrat David Jolly within 5 points of Donalds, much closer than DeSantis’ historic 19-point win in 2022. Other polls promoted by Jolly’s campaign have the two within the margin of error, making 2026 shape up to be a competitive race.
Donalds told the News Journal after the event that he isn’t taking anything for granted, but his focus is on the primary.
“I take every election seriously. I always run like I’m 5-10 points down,” Donalds said. “We look at everything, but it’s about seeing the people of Florida, and I think what the people of Florida want are the real answers to affordability, to growth issues, what’s the future of the state going to look like? And I think that’s what people are thinking about. And so I think we’ll be just fine by the time we get to the November election, but we still have work to do in the primary.”
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Byron Donalds packs first Florida governor campaign rally in Pensacola
Reporting by Jim Little, Pensacola News Journal / Pensacola News Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
