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Matt Gaetz Hasn’t Ruled Out Run for Florida Governor

May 21, 2025 at 2:31 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) hasn’t yet ruled out running for Florida governor, eyeing a potential three-way Republican primary against Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) and first lady Casey DeSantis, NBC News reports.

Filed Under: 2026 Campaign Tagged With: FL-Gov

Pizzo to Run for Florida Governor

May 9, 2025 at 9:04 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

State Sen. Jason Pizzo, who recently proclaimed the Florida Democratic Party “dead” before leaving the party, said Friday he will run for governor as an independent in 2026, Politico reports.

Filed Under: 2026 Campaign Tagged With: FL-Gov

David Jolly Registers as a Democrat

April 24, 2025 at 7:49 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Former Republican Rep. David Jolly, who has made a national name for himself as a vocal opponent of President Donald Trump, took a step Thursday toward a possible run for governor of Florida in 2026 by launching a state political committee,” Politico reports.

“Jolly also switched his no-party affiliation voter registration to Democrat on Wednesday afternoon, which would make him eligible to run statewide under the party’s ticket by next year’s qualification period in June.”

Filed Under: 2026 Campaign Tagged With: FL-Gov


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David Jolly Mulls Run for Florida Governor

March 25, 2025 at 7:22 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“David Jolly, the former representative whose sharp disagreements with President Donald Trump led him to leave the Republican Party, is considering running for governor of Florida,” Politico reports.

“Jolly is weighing whether to enter the race as a Democrat despite Republicans building a formidable advantage in the once-swing state under Trump and Gov. Ron DeSantis.”

Filed Under: 2026 Campaign Tagged With: FL-Gov

DeSantis Urges Lobbyists Not to Back Donalds

March 19, 2025 at 6:30 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ political operation is making calls urging state lobbyists not to support Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL), whose 2026 bid for governor has already socked away more than $3 million — much of which has come from President Donald Trump’s donors,” NBC News reports.

Filed Under: 2026 Campaign Tagged With: FL-Gov

Don Jr. Backs Byron Donalds for Florida Governor

March 12, 2025 at 7:41 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Donald Trump Jr. is endorsing Rep. Byron Donalds for Florida governor, following in his father’s footsteps and cementing Donalds as the frontrunner over possible contender Casey DeSantis, the state’s first lady,” Axios reports.

“The move by Trump Jr. — a key player in MAGA media — comes after a presidential race in which Donalds was a constant pro-Trump presence on the campaign trail.”

Filed Under: 2026 Campaign Tagged With: FL-Gov

Ron and Casey DeSantis Have Breakfast with Trump

March 2, 2025 at 11:37 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and his wife, Casey — who is rumored to be eyeing a run for governor — were spotted having breakfast with President Trump at his golf club this morning, the Wall Street Journal reports.

Trump has already endorsed Rep. Byron Donalds.

Filed Under: 2026 Campaign, White House Tagged With: FL-Gov

Trump Upends Ron DeSantis’ Plans

February 24, 2025 at 2:49 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Gov. Ron DeSantis and first lady Casey DeSantis had a message for donors and other important Republican backers over the last few weeks: Don’t throw your support to Rep. Byron Donalds, because Casey DeSantis was seriously considering jumping into the 2026 race for governor,” Politico reports.

“That message was upended last Thursday night with a single social media post by President Donald Trump emphatically endorsing Donalds. And Trump’s decision may have also derailed an effort to preserve Gov. DeSantis’ conservative legacy ahead of another potential presidential run.”

Filed Under: 2026 Campaign Tagged With: FL-Gov

Trump May Have Just Ended the Florida Governor’s Race

February 20, 2025 at 8:20 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“President Donald Trump brought an early end Thursday to the speculation around his favorite for the 2026 Florida governor’s race in a post on Truth Social, endorsing loyalist Rep. Byron Donalds for the job,” Politico reports.

“The president’s backing of Donalds is likely to have a chilling effect on the race in Florida, a state Trump won by 13 points in November and that he has called home since 2019.”

Filed Under: 2026 Campaign Tagged With: FL-Gov

Casey DeSantis Mulls Bid for Florida Governor

February 6, 2025 at 11:02 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Republican donors at a gathering last week in Palm Beach County openly discussed the prospect of Casey DeSantis’ running for governor in 2026, and for the first time, Florida’s first lady is seriously considering the idea,” NBC News reports.

Filed Under: 2026 Campaign Tagged With: FL-Gov

Matt Gaetz Eyes Run for Governor

January 8, 2025 at 7:44 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) said he may not be done with politics despite resigning from Congress last month to be a cable news host, the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Said Gaetz: “I am starting to think about running for governor.”

Filed Under: 2026 Campaign Tagged With: FL-Gov

Trump Plans to Anoint Ron DeSantis’ Successor

May 18, 2024 at 12:54 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Politico: “During a high-dollar fundraiser at the Pierre in Manhattan on Tuesday night, Trump pointedly asked Rep. Byron Donalds if he planned on running for governor… Trump, apparently toying with the hopeful pol, then noted that he had a lot of friends who were likely to enter the race.”

“Trump’s exchange with Donalds — which was in front of other people — quickly came out. It was a stark reminder that, even amid a public peace treaty with ex-primary rival DeSantis, Trump is eager to show he has every intention of dominating the state they both call home well past the 2024 election. It also amped up suspense about when, how and whether Trump would endorse and spilled the already active jockeying for 2026 into public view.”

Filed Under: 2026 Campaign Tagged With: FL-Gov

Ron DeSantis Says His Wife Has No Interest in Running

May 13, 2024 at 8:08 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday knocked down speculation that his wife, first lady Casey DeSantis, would run to succeed him in 2026,” Politico reports.

“The Republican governor insisted at an event in event in Coral Gables that Casey DeSantis, a former television anchor who was a near constant presence on the campaign trail when he ran for president, had “zero” interest in running for governor.”

Filed Under: 2026 Campaign Tagged With: FL-Gov

Battle for Florida Governor Plays Out in Congress

October 5, 2023 at 10:03 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“When Reps. Matt Gaetz and Byron Donalds staked out opposing positions on shutting down the government, they framed it as a fight over spending,” Politico reports.

“On ousting Speaker Kevin McCarthy, the two Florida Republicans disagreed over whether it was a referendum on McCarthy’s leadership or a distraction from urgent House business.”

“What they didn’t say is that the divergent views were also likely about the next campaign for governor of Florida.”

“Gaetz and Donalds are two of the most prominent Republicans expected to run to succeed Gov. Ron DeSantis in 2026, a distant contest that is already churning up political conflict at the state and national level. They have positioned themselves differently in Congress: both as stern conservatives, but with Gaetz as a rebellious gadfly and Donalds as a more conventional hard-liner, a dynamic that helped shape the shutdown fight.”

Filed Under: 2026 Campaign Tagged With: FL-Gov

Matt Gaetz Widely Expected to Run for Florida Governor

September 18, 2023 at 2:25 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“The idea that Rep. Matt Gaetz will run for Florida governor in 2026 has been the topic of several conversations in Tallahassee over the past few days, including during a reception Sunday night for the incoming speaker of the Florida House,” NBC News reports.

“Gaetz has long been considered on the shortlist of those who will try and seek the Republican nomination for governor, a field that is expected to be crowded because the incumbent, Ron DeSantis, will be facing term limits. DeSantis is currently running for president but would have two years remaining in the governor’s mansion if that run falls short.”

Said one GOP operative: “He’s 100 percent in. I think Gaetz is an instant frontrunner and from what I hear he’s already won the Trump primary.”

Filed Under: 2026 Campaign Tagged With: FL-Gov

Matt Gaetz May Run for Florida Governor

February 17, 2023 at 6:41 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Politico: “Several colleagues and those in Florida Republican circles anticipate Gaetz could run for governor of the Sunshine State in 2026 after Gov. Ron DeSantis leaves office. DeSantis is expected to run for the White House in 2024.”

Filed Under: 2026 Campaign Tagged With: FL-Gov

Charlie Crist’s Campaign Manager Was Arrested

October 21, 2022 at 2:47 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“The manager of Charlie Crist’s Florida gubernatorial campaign was arrested in a domestic violence case a day before he resigned from the campaign,” NBC News reports.

Filed Under: 2022 Campaign Tagged With: FL-Gov

Ron DeSantis Begins to Run Away in Florida

October 5, 2022 at 7:43 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

A new Mason-Dixon poll in Florida finds Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) with a big lead over Charlie Crist (D), 52% to 41%.

Said pollster Brad Coker: “DeSantis is going to be Governor Hurricane for the next couple weeks. The disadvantage Crist has is two-fold: he’s completely out of the news and he never managed a hurricane so he can’t stand up and point to what he did. So Crist is totally, totally defanged.”

WPEC: Florida gubernatorial debate postponed due to Hurricane Ian.

Filed Under: 2022 Campaign Tagged With: FL-Gov

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About Political Wire

goddard-bw-snapshotTaegan Goddard is the founder of Political Wire, one of the earliest and most influential political web sites. He also runs Political Job Hunt, Electoral Vote Map and the Political Dictionary.

Goddard spent more than a decade as managing director and chief operating officer of a prominent investment firm in New York City. Previously, he was a policy adviser to a U.S. Senator and Governor.

Goddard is also co-author of You Won - Now What? (Scribner, 1998), a political management book hailed by prominent journalists and politicians from both parties. In addition, Goddard's essays on politics and public policy have appeared in dozens of newspapers across the country.

Goddard earned degrees from Vassar College and Harvard University. He lives in New York with his wife and three sons.

Goddard is the owner of Goddard Media LLC.

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