Republican Byron Donalds was projected to win Florida’s gubernatorial election, making him the state’s first Black governor. Donalds was backed by President Donald Trump and had served in Congress since 2021. He ran to succeed Republican Governor Ron DeSantis, who could not seek another term because of term limits.
Republican Senator Ashley Moody was also projected to hold her seat in a special election against Democrat Angie Nixon. The contest was for the Senate seat previously held by Marco Rubio. Nixon had secured her party’s nomination with a surprise primary win, but her campaign raised less money than Moody’s.
Florida Democrats also held onto seats in all three congressional districts that had been redrawn to benefit Republicans as part of a wider effort to reshape House districts. The results came amid major Democratic gains nationally, which gave the party control of both chambers of Congress for the remaining years of Trump’s presidency.
Donalds, who was born in Brooklyn, moved to Florida to attend university and later became active in local politics. He was at one point considered as a potential running mate for Trump in 2024.
Sources: BBC News World.