Byron Donalds Targets Black Voter Support in Florida Gubernatorial Race
Republican nominee for Florida governor Byron Donalds is actively courting Black voters across the Miami area, setting a campaign goal to capture more than 20% of the demographic in the upcoming election. CBS News reported that the Florida congressman’s weekend outreach marked a distinct shift for a candidate who has historically avoided identity-based political appeals during his nine years in Congress and the state House.
Donalds pointed to changing political alignments during a series of South Florida appearances, stating that Black voters are starting to disengage from a monolithic tie to the Democratic Party. Historical polling data shows that roughly 13% of Black voters backed Gov. Ron DeSantis during his 2022 reelection bid, while President Donald Trump secured approximately 15% of the Black vote in Florida during the 2024 presidential election.
Donalds Promotes Meritocracy at Legacy Con
During a speech on Saturday, October 3, 2026, at the Black Professionals Summit’s Legacy Con, Donalds addressed a crowd of attendees while outlining his vision for the state. I don’t talk about my race in this campaign,
Donalds told the audience, as reported by CBS News. Florida is a meritocracy. Here in Florida, we have people who have come from so many different parts of the country. What they really care about now is: Can you get the job done?
Event organizers noted that Democratic nominee David Jolly was also invited to speak at the summit but did not attend due to a scheduling conflict. If elected, Donalds would enter a select group of American politicians, as only three Black governors have ever been elected in U.S. history. He is one of three nominees nationwide running to become the first Black Republican governors ever elected.
South Florida Voters Express Mixed Reactions to Donalds
Reactions to Donalds’ outreach remain mixed among South Florida voters. At Lorna’s Caribbean Restaurant in Miami Gardens, 54-year-old Jermaine Woodside spoke with the candidate over a lengthy dinner and expressed openness to his platform, though he cautioned that Donalds’ association with President Trump could hinder his broader appeal.
Conversely, other residents voiced outright opposition. In the Overtown neighborhood, Kalyn James staged a silent protest by displaying a “Vote Blue” sign with Donalds’ name crossed out during a meet-and-greet event. Jasmine Burney-Clark offered sharp criticism of the campaign’s strategy, noting that Donalds declined to sign her group’s candidate pledge supporting a Democratic-backed state voting rights bill.
Donalds defended his broad strategy against such criticism, emphasizing door-knocking efforts targeting Black voters in North Miami and Broward County alongside Hispanic voters in Doral and Hialeah. Look at the issues I’m pushing forward,
Donalds told CBS News. Yes, a couple years ago I endorsed him to be president.
But I’m running to be governor of Florida.
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