Byron Donalds Wins Florida Governor Election 2026, Defeating David Jolly

Republican Byron Donalds has been projected as the winner of Florida’s 2026 gubernatorial election, defeating Democrat David Jolly, according to the Associated Press. Earlier on Tuesday, November 3, Jolly led with 50.9% of the vote (2,429,979), compared with Donalds’ 48.5% (2,314,210), according to CNN figures published at 7:32 p.m. Eastern Time, when 58% of the vote had been counted. Those figures represented preliminary results and do not reflect the final outcome.

Florida Governor Election Results: Earlier Vote Count

According to CNN’s preliminary count at 7:32 p.m. ET, a total of 4,776,295 votes had been counted:

• David Jolly (Democrat): 2,429,979 votes, 50.9%.
• Byron Donalds (Republican): 2,314,210 votes, 48.5%.
• Scott Jewett (Libertarian): 19,682 votes, 0.4%.
• Frank Russo (Independent): 12,424 votes, 0.3%.

At 7:30 p.m. ET, the Associated Press had not yet projected a winner. Florida’s initial returns included early and mail-in ballots, which can differ from votes counted later in the evening. According to the preliminary figures, Jolly’s lead narrowed from 6.3 to 2.9 percentage points as the reported count increased from 49% to 56%. The AP subsequently projected Donalds as the winner.

What You Need to Know About Florida Governor Election Results

• Open seat: Florida’s governorship was open because incumbent Republican Governor Ron DeSantis was ineligible to seek another consecutive term.
• The candidates: Jolly served as a Republican congressman from 2014 to 2017 before joining the Democratic Party. Donalds is a Republican congressman who received President Donald Trump’s endorsement.
• Early voting: According to AP and EFE, more than 5.4 million Floridians voted early, with approximately 40% of registered Republican voters participating.
• Voter registration: Florida has approximately 5.5 million registered Republicans and 4.04 million registered Democrats, according to Florida Department of State figures cited by EFE.
• Historical context: Democrats last held Florida’s governorship in January 1999, when Republican Jeb Bush succeeded Democrat Buddy MacKay.
• Poll closing: Polling places in the western Florida Panhandle, which observes Central Time, closed at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, an hour after polling places in most of the state.

Election Day began without widespread long lines, although rain forced changes at some polling locations. Read more in Elections in the United States begin without long lines, but rain forces changes in polling stations.

Election update: The Associated Press has projected Byron Donalds as the winner of Florida’s gubernatorial election. The vote totals listed above are retained as a historical snapshot from 7:32 p.m. ET and are not final certified results.

Sources: CNN election results, AP election coverage, EFE, AP Florida governor’s race.