U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) shifted his message toward affordability and a broader Florida electorate after winning the Republican primary for governor on Tuesday, delivering a victory speech that did not mention President Donald Trump or the endorsement he had prominently featured throughout the primary campaign.
Donalds, a U.S. congressman, won the GOP nomination with about 48% of the vote defeating a field that included Jay Collins, who finished second with 25%. He will face Democratic nominee David Jolly, a former Republican congressman and Trump critic, in November.
At his victory party at a Universal Orlando resort, Donalds praised Sen. Rick Scott, who endorsed him, as well as Gov. Ron DeSantis, who did not. But he made no reference to Trump, despite campaigning for months as the president's endorsed candidate and highlighting that support in advertising, as The Miami Herald points out.
Instead, Donalds and his wife, Erika, spoke about their financial struggles earlier in life and centered their remarks on affordability, an issue that polls have repeatedly identified as a leading concern among Florida voters.
"My administration will be guided by three pillars: making Florida accountable, achievable and most of all, affordable," Donalds told supporters.
The change in emphasis comes as Donalds moves from a Republican primary to a statewide general election. Donalds' opponent will be Jolly, who previously served in Congress as a Republican before leaving the party and becoming a Democrat and has been a vocal Trump critic. Democrats have not won a Florida gubernatorial election since 1994 or occupied the governor's mansion since January 1999.
Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters, a Donalds supporter, told the Miami Herald that reaching voters beyond the Republican base would require the nominee to engage directly with people who may not already support him.
"Just go around and talk to as many people that will allow you to come into the room and talk with them," Waters said.
