After a tough primary season, Republicans are uniting behind the gubernatorial nominee.
That was one of the messages delivered by Byron Donalds at the Republican Party of Florida’s victory rally Thursday.
He said that he had talked to Gov. Ron DeSantis and Lt. Gov. Jay Collins, closing the loop on a period when Donalds was held at arm’s length by the incumbent and attacked repeatedly by his second-in-command, who ultimately was the second place finisher.
Regarding DeSantis, Donalds said the two were “talking about some items” and that it was “good” to talk to him.
DeSantis and Donalds had an alliance in previous years, with the Congressman from Naples helping DeSantis debate prep in his 2018 race against Andrew Gillum, but the dynamic chilled when Donalds backed Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential primary.
While DeSantis once said Donalds had been no help in battles to defeat adult-use recreational marijuana and abortion amendments in 2024, the Governor has moved on from that disappointment to support his potential successor.
Donalds also credited Collins with “running a spirited campaign.”
“He’s done a tremendous service for this state, and obviously a tremendous service for this nation,” Donalds said.
Collins carried 17 counties on Tuesday: Calhoun, Columbia, Dixie, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Hardee, Holmes, Jackson, Jefferson, Lafayette, Levy, Liberty, Madison, Suwannee, Taylor, Union, Washington.
They are rural with 94% white Republican voter registration.
A.G. Gancarski has been the Northeast Florida correspondent for Florida Politics since 2014. His work also can be seen in the Washington Post, the New York Post, the Washington Times, and National Review, among other publications. He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter: @AGGancarski
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