by The National News Desk
WASHINGTON (TNND) — Florida’s gubernatorial race is shaping up as a high-stakes test for the state’s political future, with the midterm elections just weeks away and voters focused on issues such as affordability, insurance costs and whether Florida should stay on its current policy course.
After years of solid Republican dominance, Florida has emerged as a critical battleground. Polls show a competitive contest even as Republicans hold structural advantages. The results on Nov. 3 are expected to signal not only where the state is headed, but also broader national political trends.
Republican U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds, the GOP candidate for governor, told The National News Desk he is running on “common sense conservative principles” that he argued have made Florida “the number one state in all America.” He contrasted his approach with Democratic opponent David Jolly, saying, “David Jolly wants to embody the ideas of New York and Illinois and California.”
Donalds said his campaign is focused on “lowering insurance costs 20% using common sense reforms that we can easily execute in year one.” He criticized Jolly’s approach to insurance, saying, “His requires a major fund that he has no dollars to put into, which would actually levy a tax on every policyholder in the state of Florida.”
He also pointed to education and social issues, saying he wants to continue policies including “school choice, empowering parents, protecting the puberty of young kids.”
Looking beyond Florida, Donalds said he believes voters want “common sense ideas that are going to make lives better at the end of the day,” pointing to concerns about high gas prices and public safety. He said many Florida voters moved from Democratic-led states “for a reason,” adding, “They came to Florida for common sense. And for freedom.”
Donalds said he expects Florida voters to deliver a message on Nov. 3 “that the Democrat Party and their crazy policies are not going to have a foothold in Florida.”
Asked about Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Angie Nixon and her ties to the Democratic Socialists of America, Donalds said, “Angie Nixon, Bernie Sanders and AOC, they represent the majority of the Democrat Party today.” He said DSA-aligned candidates “tend to win over and over and again,” and argued that “conservative Democrats” are now the minority within the party.
Donalds also said he believes some Democratic voters in Florida will support him, saying his campaign is “laser focused on lowering insurance costs” and “laser focused workforce training for our young people, so whether it’s college or careers, they have a pathway to really build the American dream here in the great state of Florida.”
During the interview, Donalds was asked to respond to comments from Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed about President Donald Trump and the midterms. Donalds said Trump is scheduled to campaign in Florida on Oct. 23.
“The president will actually be in Florida on October 23rd and we welcome the president,” Donalds said. “He’s going to be in Southwest Florida.”
Donalds criticized El-Sayed and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, saying, “What they support are wide open borders that make our country less safe.” He also blamed Democrats for inflation over the past five years, saying, “That inflation was not created by Republican policy. It was created by Democrat policy. AOC voted for it as a member of Congress.”
Donalds also criticized proposals such as “Medicare for all,” saying it would not lower costs or improve quality. He urged voters to look at recent Democratic governance, saying the country was harmed “under Joe Biden and the Democrat Party when they had full control of our government.”
Florida voters will decide the governor’s race on Nov. 3.
