MIAMI — Republican Rep. Byron Donalds’ campaign for Florida governor says it has raised $31.5 million since launching in February, including an impressive summer fundraising total, as Republicans wait to see what the GOP primary field will look like in the Sunshine State.
Donalds’ political team said he raised $9.2 million in the quarter that ended Tuesday. The political committee raised $7.9 million of that total, and the rest went toward his campaign. The quarterly haul is especially notable; summer months during off-year elections tend to be slow for fundraising, given that many high-dollar donors leave Florida for more temperate climates.
But Donalds received the endorsement of President Donald Trump in February — a move viewed by many political insiders in Florida as effectively ending the race. The figures put Donalds in a dominant position at a time when just one other major candidate is in the primary and a couple more are still considering getting in.
The other big-name candidate is former Florida House Speaker Paul Renner. Gov. Ron DeSantis has declined to endorse Donalds or Renner, saying he doesn’t view either candidate as the right person to succeed him. Florida has gradually become more politically conservative during DeSantis’ tenure, giving a leg up to whoever wins the GOP nomination.
Jay Collins, a former Green Beret and state senator who the governor appointed to the job of lieutenant governor a month ago, is expected to get into the primary soon — though it’s not clear yet whether he’ll receive his boss’ endorsement. Florida first lady Casey DeSantis also hasn’t ruled out a run, and though she polls closer to Donalds than any other hypothetical candidate, polling has also shown her advantages crater once voters learn Trump endorsed Donalds.
Collins recently told POLITICO he would consider having Casey DeSantis as a running mate. Both Collins and Renner poll in the low single digits in matchups with Donalds.
“By every metric, Byron Donalds is the dominant force in the governor’s race,” said Ryan Smith, chief strategist for the Donalds campaign. “With his broad conservative grassroots support, record-setting fundraising, and wide lead in the polls, Byron Donalds is criss-crossing Florida and taking his winning message to every corner of the state.” He predicted Donalds would be the next governor because “he is the proven conservative fighter President Trump and Floridians trust to lead the Sunshine State.”
Renner’s and Collins’ fundraising numbers for the quarter aren’t final, and they aren’t due to be posted publicly until next week. Renner has been in the race only a month, meaning he won’t have a full quarter to fundraise until October through December, while Collins isn’t a declared candidate.
Initial public reports that don’t include campaign fundraising show Collins received a donation toward his political committee from Roy Bailey, one of three finance chairs for the 2024 DeSantis presidential campaign. A rough snapshot of figures shows Collins saw contributions toward his political committee of at least $363,000 since becoming lieutenant governor. An incomplete report of Renner’s political committee page for governor shows at least $2.4 million in that account, including a $1.2 million transfer from one of his other political committees and $250,000 from developer Jack Demetree.
The only statewide figure who had fundraising figures similar to Donalds earlier this year was Florida Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson. But the figure was over a longer period of time and included infusions from obscure political committees run by GOP operatives.
Donalds is set to headline a Republican gala dinner in Lake County on Thursday, and his finance schedule shows he’s set to hold a fundraiser in Tallahassee this weekend.
Notable donors who contributed to his campaign during the third quarter include the Seminole Tribe, which has donated heavily to DeSantis in the past; chewing gun heir Beau Wrigley; hedge fund manager John Paulson; M Crowd Restaurant Group co-founder Ray Washburne; and Marty Davis, the head of a kitchen countertop manufacturer in Minnesota who’s given generously to Trump.
Two political committees tied to current Florida House Speaker Daniel Perez — a Republican who has clashed frequently with DeSantis — also contributed $1 million to Donalds.
