Byron Donalds and David Jolly win Florida governor primaries, will face in November
Donalds, a Trump-backed Republican, and Jolly, a former Republican turned Democrat, advance to replace outgoing Gov. Ron DeSantis
AI-assisted coverage comparison, editor-supervised · How this was made
Byron Donalds and David Jolly win Florida governor primaries, will face in November
Photograph: KSAT 12 (embedded from source)
What this story says
- Byron Donalds won the Republican nomination for Florida governor, defeating Lt. Gov. Jay Collins and others in a primary endorsed by Donald Trump.
- David Jolly, a former Republican congressman who switched parties, won the Democratic nomination for governor, setting up a November general election against Donalds.
- The race will test Trump’s influence in Florida and Democrats’ efforts to regain ground in a state that has shifted rightward since 2016.
- Angie Nixon won the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate, while Debbie Wasserman Schultz retained her House seat in a redrawn district.
Who covered it
Percentages are shares of the 12 outlets carrying a published leaning rating. Coverage measured .
Trust
65/100
Craft
75/100
Hype
15/100
12 sources · methodology
Florida voters selected their nominees for governor in primary elections on 18 August 2026. U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds won the Republican nomination, defeating Lt. Gov. Jay Collins and political newcomer James Fishback. Donalds, who was endorsed by former president Donald Trump, will seek to become Florida’s first Black governor. On the Democratic side, former U.S. Rep. David Jolly, who switched parties in 2025, won the nomination over four other candidates.
The November general election will pit Donalds, a conservative who has promised tax cuts and healthcare price transparency, against Jolly, who has framed his candidacy as a test of whether a former Republican can win as a Democrat in Florida. Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is term-limited, will leave office after eight years. DeSantis had endorsed Ashley Moody, who won the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate in a separate primary. Moody will face progressive state Rep. Angie Nixon in a special election to complete the remainder of Marco Rubio’s term after he became Trump’s secretary of state.
In congressional races, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a longtime Democratic representative, won her primary in a redrawn district that is now plurality Black. Her opponent, former Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, had resigned earlier in 2026 amid a federal indictment. On the Republican side, Ryan Elijah defeated scandal-plagued Rep. Cory Mills in the 7th Congressional District primary.
What the coverage left out
None of the right-rated digests mentioned Angie Nixon’s victory in the Democratic Senate primary or Debbie Wasserman Schultz’s win in her redrawn House district. The left-rated digests, including the full KSAT 12 report, all carried Nixon’s win, while the centre-rated digests omitted it except for the full KSAT 12 report republished by meadowlakeNOW. The full KSAT 12 report was the only source to detail the allegations against Cory Mills, the Republican congressman defeated in his primary, and the controversies surrounding his campaign.
Still developing. We have re-checked which outlets are covering this 1 time, most recently on 19 Aug 2026, 01:00, and will add the sides that appear.
How each side covered it
Our own reading of the reporting listed below, written from the outlets’ articles rather than quoted from them. The reasoning is set out on our methodology page.
Left
6 rated outlets
- The six left-rated digests all led on the nomination of Byron Donalds and David Jolly as their parties’ gubernatorial candidates. Five of the six digests noted that Jolly is a former Republican who switched parties, a detail the Associated Press report, carried by Orillia Matters, BurlingtonToday, Oskaloosa Herald, Richmond Register and meadowlakeNOW, included. The Washington Post’s digest mentioned Jolly’s party switch and described him as running against four other Democratic candidates. NBC News’s digest framed the race as a test of whether Florida voters would stick to the political script.
- The full report from KSAT 12, which the left-rated outlets republished, quoted Donalds on affordability as a unifying issue for Floridians, regardless of politics or race. It also noted that Jolly’s candidacy is a test of whether a party-switching former Republican can succeed in Florida, where Charlie Crist, another former Republican, lost decisively to DeSantis in 2022. The report described Nixon’s Senate primary win as a victory for progressives over Alex Vindman, a centrist Democrat and former National Security Council official who testified in Trump’s first impeachment.
Centre
5 rated outlets
- The five centre-rated digests all reported the primary wins of Donalds and Jolly. CBS News and the Tampa Bay Times led with the ease of their victories, with the Tampa Bay Times noting that both candidates “got in their races early and never trailed.” The Palm Beach Post’s digest focused on Jolly’s Democratic primary, describing his nomination as “a sure win” and framing the race as a gauge of his sway within the party.
- The full report from KSAT 12, republished by meadowlakeNOW, provided additional context on Donalds’ reliance on Trump’s endorsement and his conservative policy platform. It also detailed the Senate primary, noting that Moody, the Republican nominee, was appointed by DeSantis and praised for her law-and-order record. The report described the Senate race as a challenge for Democrats, who have not won a Florida Senate seat since 2012.
Right
1 rated outlet
- The single right-rated digest, from Fox News, led with Donalds’ victory as “Trump’s handpicked DeSantis successor” and described the GOP primary as “crowded.” The digest did not mention Jolly’s party switch or his Democratic opponents. It framed Donalds’ win as a test of Trump’s influence in Florida, a theme the centre and left also noted but without the same emphasis on Trump’s role in the primary.
Read it at the source
12 outlets, grouped by the leaning a published rating gives them. Every headline links to the original; an underlined outlet name opens our profile of that publisher.
Left
6- US Rep Byron Donalds wins GOP nod for governor and former Rep. David Jolly the Democratic nomination (opens burlingtontoday.com in a new tab)
burlingtontoday.com — is burlingtontoday.com biased? Our profile of this outlet
- US Rep Byron Donalds wins GOP nod for governor and former Rep. David Jolly the Democratic nomination (opens Orillia Matters in a new tab)
Orillia Matters — is Orillia Matters biased? Our profile of this outlet
- US Rep Byron Donalds wins GOP nod for governor and former Rep. David Jolly the Democratic nomination (opens Richmond Register in a new tab)
Richmond Register — is Richmond Register biased? Our profile of this outlet
- US Rep Byron Donalds wins GOP nod for governor and former Rep. David Jolly the Democratic nomination (opens Oskaloosa Herald in a new tab)
Oskaloosa Herald — is Oskaloosa Herald biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Republican Byron Donalds and Democrat David Jolly set to square off for Florida’s governorship (opens NBC News in a new tab)
- Byron Donalds, David Jolly win Florida governor primaries. See live results. (opens The Washington Post in a new tab)
The Washington Post — is The Washington Post biased? Our profile of this outlet
Centre
5- Byron Donalds, David Jolly to face off in Florida governor's race after primary wins (opens CBS News in a new tab)
- US Rep Byron Donalds wins GOP nod for governor and former Rep. David Jolly the Democratic nomination (opens meadowlakeNOW in a new tab)
meadowlakeNOW — is meadowlakeNOW biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Byron Donalds, David Jolly cruise to wins in Florida governor primaries (opens Tampa Bay Times in a new tab)
Tampa Bay Times — is Tampa Bay Times biased? Our profile of this outlet
- David Jolly election results in Florida Democratic primary: A sure win? (opens Palm Beach Post in a new tab)
Palm Beach Post — is Palm Beach Post biased? Our profile of this outlet
- US Rep Byron Donalds wins GOP nod for governor and former Rep. David Jolly the Democratic nomination (opens KSAT 12 in a new tab)
Right
1Not rated
0No outlet in this group ran the story.
Questions about this coverage
- How did the left and right cover Byron Donalds and David Jolly win Florida governor primaries, will face…?
- Of the 12 outlets on this story carrying a published leaning rating, 50% are rated left, 42% are rated centre, 8% are rated right. Those percentages are shares of the rated outlets, not of every outlet that ran it. The sections above set out what each side emphasised, in its own terms.
- Is Byron Donalds and David Jolly win Florida governor primaries, will face… left or right?
- Neither side dominates it. Of the 12 rated outlets on this story, 50% are rated left, 42% are rated centre, 8% are rated right, and no side holds the 70% this site would want before calling a field one-sided. A story is not left or right in any case; the outlets that carried it are what carry ratings.
- Is the coverage of Byron Donalds and David Jolly win Florida governor primaries, will face… biased?
- Byron Donalds and David Jolly win Florida governor primaries, will face in November is one event reported by 12 outlets, and this page does not rate the story as biased or unbiased. What it publishes is the spread: which outlets ran it, where named rating organisations place each of them on the spectrum, and what each side chose to lead with. A leaning rating describes an outlet's record over time, not this article, and the two should not be run together.
- Which outlets covered Byron Donalds and David Jolly win Florida governor primaries, will face…?
- 12 that we know of, every one of them listed further up this page with a link to its own report and to what we hold on the publisher. Nothing here is a summary of somebody else's summary: the outlets are named so the original reporting can be read.
- Who won the Republican nomination for Florida governor?
- U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds won the Republican nomination for Florida governor in the 18 August 2026 primary. Donalds, who was endorsed by former president Donald Trump, defeated Lt. Gov. Jay Collins and other candidates to secure the nomination. He will face Democratic nominee David Jolly in the November general election.
- Why is David Jolly’s candidacy significant?
- David Jolly is a former Republican congressman who switched parties in 2025. His nomination as the Democratic candidate for Florida governor tests whether a party-switching former Republican can win in a state that has shifted rightward since 2016. Democrats last nominated a former Republican for governor in 2022, when Charlie Crist lost decisively to Ron DeSantis.
- What other races were decided in Florida’s primaries?
- In addition to the governor’s race, Florida’s primaries decided nominees for U.S. Senate and House seats. Progressive state Rep. Angie Nixon won the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate, while interim Sen. Ashley Moody won the Republican nomination. Debbie Wasserman Schultz retained her House seat in a redrawn district, and Ryan Elijah defeated scandal-plagued Rep. Cory Mills in the Republican primary for Florida’s 7th Congressional District.
- How did Trump’s endorsement influence the Republican primary?
- Byron Donalds’ victory in the Republican primary for Florida governor was widely attributed to Donald Trump’s endorsement. The right-rated Fox News digest described Donalds as “Trump’s handpicked DeSantis successor,” while the full KSAT 12 report noted that Donalds “banked on Trump’s endorsement to secure the nomination.” Trump’s influence in Florida’s primaries was framed as a test of his grip on the state.
How did this read?
About the coverage, not about the story. We do not ask whether you agree with what happened — we have no honest use for that answer.
