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.”

“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.”

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.”