Republican Byron Donalds won election Tuesday, Nov. 3, as Florida's next governor, defeating Democrat David Jolly. The Associated Press declared Donalds the winner at 9:09 p.m. EST.

Donalds will be the first Black governor in Florida history. He succeeds fellow Republican Ron DeSantis, who was term-limited after two consecutive terms. Florida has not elected a Democrat as governor since 1994, according to the AP.

DeSantis leaves office Jan. 5, 2027.

The winning ticket

Donalds represents Southwest Florida's 19th Congressional District in the U.S. House, a seat he has held since 2021, according to candidate records. He previously served in the Florida House from 2016 to 2020. His running mate, Bryan Avila, left his Florida state Senate seat to join the ticket, according to the Independent Florida Alligator's voter guide. President Donald Trump endorsed Donalds.

Jolly served in the U.S. House from 2014 to 2017 as a Republican. He left the party in September 2018, co-founded the Forward Party in 2022 and registered as a Democrat in April 2025, according to biographical records. His running mate, Gwen Graham, served in the U.S. House from 2015 to 2017. She is the daughter of former Florida Gov. Bob Graham. Former President Barack Obama endorsed Jolly.

A New York Times/Siena Research Institute poll conducted Oct. 19–25 had shown Donalds at 48% and Jolly at 44%, the Alligator reported before the election.

Insurance and affordability shaped the race

Both candidates called homeowners insurance a top affordability issue. The average annual premium in Clay County was $2,540 as of March 2026, according to a Jacksonville insurance guide citing the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation. That is lower than neighboring Duval County at $2,786 and St. Johns County at $2,883.

Donalds said he wants to preserve the 2022 and 2023 insurance reforms, expand home-hardening grants and cut rebuilding costs through permitting reform. He told the Sun Sentinel his goal is to bring costs down another 20% to 25%.

Jolly proposed creating a state-backed catastrophe fund to carry hurricane and wind risk. His campaign claimed the plan could cut premiums 60% to 70%. That estimate had not been established through an independent actuarial analysis, according to a Lower Mortgage policy comparison. Both plans would require approval from the Florida Legislature.

Amendment 3 and Clay County property taxes

Voters also decided Amendment 3, which would raise the homestead exemption on non-school property taxes from $50,000 to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028. It required 60% approval to pass. Donalds supported the measure. Jolly said millage rates and exemptions should stay in local governments' hands, according to Florida Politics.

Clay County could lose about $31 million in property tax revenue if the amendment passes, according to Clay Views. The median Clay County property tax bill was $2,741 in tax year 2026, according to Ownwell.

The Florida Division of Elections' certified list showed 10 qualified tickets on the ballot, including Libertarian Scott Jewett.