Republican Byron Donalds won the Florida governor's race on Tuesday, Nov. 3, defeating Democrat David Jolly, according to AP's live election results. The Associated Press declared Donalds the winner at 9:09 p.m. EST.

Donalds will be the state's first Black governor. He succeeds fellow Republican Ron DeSantis, who was barred from a third consecutive term.

Florida has not elected a Democrat as governor since 1994, the AP reported.

Donalds has served in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2021. His running mate, Bryan Ávila, left his Florida state Senate seat to join the ticket, the Independent Florida Alligator's voter guide reported. President Donald Trump endorsed Donalds.

Jolly, a former Republican congressman who registered as a Democrat in April 2025, ran with Gwen Graham, a former U.S. representative and daughter of former Gov. Bob Graham. Former President Barack Obama endorsed Jolly, the Alligator reported.

What shaped the race

Property insurance dominated the campaign. The average annual homeowners premium including wind coverage was $6,136 in Broward County as of March 2026, according to Florida's Office of Insurance Regulation data cited by the Salish Current. In Monroe County, the average reached $7,863.

Donalds told the Sun Sentinel he wants to preserve the 2022 and 2023 insurance reforms, expand home-hardening grants and cut rebuilding costs through permitting reform. His stated 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%, according to a Lower Mortgage policy comparison published Oct. 30. That estimate has not been established through an independent actuarial analysis, the Lower Mortgage analysis noted.

Both plans would require approval from the Florida Legislature, the Lower Mortgage analysis noted.

Amendment 3 and local taxes

Coral Gables and Miami-Dade voters also faced Amendment 3, which would raise the homestead property tax exemption for non-school taxes to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028, according to NBC 6. The amendment needs 60% approval to pass.

Donalds supports Amendment 3 as part of his affordability agenda, the Alligator reported. Jolly said he would vote no, citing concerns about the impact on law enforcement and local services, NBC 6 reported.

The Florida Sheriffs Association warned that reduced property tax revenue could affect public safety funding, NBC 6 reported.

Separately, Miami-Dade voters decided whether to renew a voter-approved property tax for public schools. Negotiated raises for Miami-Dade teachers hinge on that referendum passing, the Miami Herald reported.

Other Florida results

Republican Ashley Moody won election to the U.S. Senate, defeating Democrat Angie Nixon, the AP reported. The AP declared Moody the winner at 8:34 p.m. EST. Moody first took the seat when DeSantis appointed her to succeed Marco Rubio after he became U.S. secretary of state in 2025.

Democrats held two Florida U.S. House seats that Republicans had targeted through redistricting, the AP reported. Rep. Kathy Castor won reelection in a metro Tampa district, and Rep. Jared Moskowitz won a third term in a redrawn district. Democrat Pia Dandiya won the open 22nd Congressional District seat, defeating Republican Casey Askar.

DeSantis leaves office Jan. 5, 2027.