“President Donald Trump’s endorsement was supposed to clear the field for Rep. Byron Donalds,” Politico reports.

“Instead, the GOP governor’s race in Florida is veering toward a bitter and unpredictable brawl — with Gov. Ron DeSantis and his clout still lurking, adding to the drama in the fight to succeed him.”

“Donalds has every reason to expect a glide path to the nomination: He’s got Trump behind him, support from many top state Republicans, millions in his campaign accounts and a steady presence on Fox News. Polls show him far out in front of other GOP hopefuls.”

“But instead of the field collapsing, Donalds is drawing in new challengers with sharper attacks — including allies of term-limited DeSantis.”

“Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) has been directly lobbying GOP megadonor Ken Griffin to help fund a challenger to Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) in the state’s 2026 governor’s race,” NBC News reports.

“But those entreaties have been rebuffed, leaving the term-limited governor scrambling to find a viable financial backer for a new candidate.”

Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) “has raised $22 million for his gubernatorial bid since entering the race, a sum that dwarfs any of the two dozen rivals in the race,” Axios reports.

David Jolly, the former Tampa-area congressman who left the Republican Party seven years ago, is holding court with the press, rolling out an announcement that everyone knows is coming: He’s running for governor as a Democrat, the Miami Herald reports.

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.

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.

“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.”

“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.”

“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.

“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.”

“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.”

“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.”

“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.

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.”

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.”

“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.”

“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.”