Byron Donalds, a three-term congressman from Naples of Jamaican and Panamanian descent who is seeking to become Florida’s first Black governor, addressed criticism Friday from his Democratic opponent, David Jolly, who accused him of having anti-Black policies.
Donalds, who has downplayed the role of race and its historical significance during his campaign for the Governor’s Mansion in Tallahassee, reiterated his belief in a meritocratic system, saying his vision for the state — not his race — qualifies him for office.
“I don’t know if you know this. Breaking news: Your next governor has been Black his entire life. But the color of my skin is not what qualifies me to be your governor,” he said at a rally with President Donald Trump in Daytona Beach. “The vision for a great Florida, the vision for a free Florida, the vision for a Florida where it doesn’t matter what the color of your skin is, a Florida whether you live in Miami, the Panhandle, or the heartland, that we fight for all of Florida, that is what qualifies me to be your next governor.”
Jolly, who is white, has repeatedly accused Donalds of supporting policies that are harmful to Florida’s diverse Black communities as both men vie for the Black vote. In a recent interview on “The Clay Cane Show,” Jolly compared Donalds to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and said, “I do think his policies are anti-Black.
“When he votes against the Voting Rights Act. When he votes to end access to capital or say he would continue to prohibit the extension of capital and credit to minority-owned businesses,” he said.
A recent St. Pete Polls survey found Jolly leading Donalds among Black voters, 76% to 18%, with a small number undecided. A Stetson University poll released Friday found a smaller gap among Black voters, with Jolly at 68% and Donalds at 29% — a high level of support for a Republican candidate.
Donalds’ historic candidacy has divided the Black community. Some agree with Jolly that his policies have been anti-Black, citing his close ties to Trump and opposition to diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, which they believe have negatively affected the Black community. His Black supporters have had their Blackness questioned and have been called racial slurs.
But Donalds on Friday said he was “sick and tired of the Democrats trying to lecture us on race.” He said it was the Republican Party that had been fighting for civil rights.
“It is the Republican Party that was formed to free the slaves. It is the Republican Party that has always fought for civil rights here in the United States of America. It is the Republican Party that, when the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act was passed, it was Republicans who made sure it got through Congress, while Democrat senators were filibustering the Civil Rights Act,” he said. “And it is Republicans today who believe in the merit, the talent and the ability of all of God’s children.”
In a Fox News interview Friday night, Jolly said he was not telling Black voters how to “adjudicate” Donalds’ record with the Black community. He said it was “ultimately a matter for the Black community to sort out.” If Donalds did make history, Jolly said, it would be as a Black governor who voted against legislation like the John Lewis Voting Rights Act and is fine with restricting access to capital for minority-owned businesses.
“That’s the history that our first Black governor would be providing. The community can decide if that’s an appropriate history that they want to reach for or not,” he said. “I respect that.”
In a campaign event in Hialeah Thursday, Donalds said if he does make history, it would speak “much more about the people of this state, their desire to entrust me with its future.
“And I think that’s really more about the people of Florida than it says about me.”
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Tampa Bay Times Election Coverage
- 2026 midterms voter guide: Get information on candidates in Tampa Bay and across Florida
- A property tax proposal and more: All 3 Florida amendments on the ballot, explained
- Governor candidate stances: Clashing ideas of David Jolly and Byron Donalds put Florida at crossroads
- 3 reasons: Here’s why David Jolly could win the governor’s race, and here’s why Byron Donalds could
- Florida polling averages: governor and Senate
- Redistricting: A snapshot of each of Tampa Bay’s new congressional districts
- St. Pete mayor’s race: 5 takeaways from the primary results
- On St. Petersburg ballots: A breakdown of referenda and charter amendments coming before city voters
