Florida voters have just elected Byron Donalds, the Republican Congressman backed by President Donald Trump and Gov. Ron DeSantis, to be Florida’s first Black governor.
asserted
voters → elect → Trump
Donalds won the race as of 9:30 p.m. Tuesday, according to the Associated Press.
uncertain
Donalds → win → Press
“THANK YOU FLORIDA!,” he posted on Facebook.
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he → thank → Facebook
“I am humbled and grateful beyond measure.
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I → humble → measure
As your Governor, I will give you everything I have.”
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I → give → everything
Donalds faced a competitive race against Democratic nominee David Jolly, a former Congressman from Pinellas County, who was previously a Republican before abandoning the GOP after Trump’s 2016 election.
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who → face → election
Both candidates campaigned on promises to lower the cost of living in Florida, which has become increasingly unaffordable in recent years for many families thanks to rising property insurance costs and inflation.
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which → campaign → costs
In the days leading up to the election, polls had Donalds just a few points ahead.
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polls → lead → Donalds
Donalds also campaigned on the idea of maintaining DeSantis’s policies that have created what Republicans call the “Free State of Florida.”
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Republicans → campaign → Florida
Donalds faced challenges along the way, in particular regarding data centers, which he vehemently supports, but many Florida voters opposed.
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voters → face → which
For his part, Jolly supported a statewide moratorium on data centers.
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Jolly → support → centers
Donalds came under scrutiny for his financial ties to the tech industry, from accepting campaign contributions from AI donors to maintaining stocks in a myriad of companies involved with the development of data centers.
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Donalds → come → centers
As I reported in August, many Republican voters who opposed data centers in their communities were reluctant to throw their support behind Donalds.
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who → report → Donalds
Voters’ openly supported the technology infrastructure, provided regulations were in place.
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regulations → support → place
As Politico reported, he’s also accepted millions in campaign contributions from data center developers.
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he → report → developers
“I’m not anti-data center.
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I → ’m → ?
I’m pro having a plan,” Donalds said in February, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
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Donalds → ’m → Times
“Data centers are going to be a function of American life going forward.
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centers → go → life
Although polls show he will win the Republican nomination, the data center issue likely will discourage many GOP and independent voters from supporting him, even leading them to cast ballots for his opponents.
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issue → show → opponents
Slowey, a registered Republican, will vote on Tuesday for Jay Collins, the current lieutenant governor, who has vowed to put Floridians first before data centers, calling for stringent guardrails around the facilities.
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who → register → facilities
I spoke to other residents who say they will vote for Bobby Williams, a grassroots conservative and third-generation Florida native who opposes data centers.
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who → speak → centers
It is unlikely he’ll win, according to polls, but the fact that he has amassed support in many communities outside bustling metro areas
While Donalds focused on Florida’s sizable Republican voter base, Jolly embraced voters from all political affiliations and united them behind the idea of improving affordability and going after corruption.
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Jolly → win → corruption
His message resonated with some Republicans, among them elected officials, who publicly supported him in September:
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who → resonate → September
George Kruse, a commissioner in deep-red Manatee County, is another elected Republican now supporting Jolly.
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Kruse → elect → Jolly
Kruse wrote about this decision on his Substack.
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Kruse → write → Substack
“Every day, every meeting, residents of Manatee County express frustration with overdevelopment, a lack of infrastructure, and a lost local voice.
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residents → express → infrastructure
As a local commissioner, I see firsthand the local control being stripped away, the growth management authority being preempted, and your local voices being silenced,” he wrote.
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he → see → commissioner
“If you want things to be different in Tallahassee, you need to go out and vote for something different.”
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you → want → something
“People need to start focusing on the person instead of the party,” Kruse told me.
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Kruse → need → me
Kruse, co-chair of the Republicans for Jolly coalition, is also supporting Kelly Kirschner, a former Sarasota mayor running for congressional district 16 in southwest Florida as a Democrat.
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Kruse → support → Democrat
“You have to vote for the better person, and sometimes that person has a different letter after their name.
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person → have → name
Sometimes, that person has a D after their name.
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person → have → name
Nonetheless, in this predominantly red state, the GOP prevailed.
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GOP → prevail → state
On X on Tuesday night, DeSantis congratulated Donalds and Republican winners in other races, Attorney General James Uthmeier and US Senator Ashley Moody.
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DeSantis → congratulate → races
The Aporia
