--- title: "Byron Donalds and David Jolly win Florida governor primaries, will face in November" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/politics/byron-donalds-and-david-jolly-win-florida-governor-primaries-will-face-in-novemb" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/byron-donalds-and-david-jolly-win-florida-governor-primaries-will-face-in-novemb" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/politics/byron-donalds-and-david-jolly-win-florida-governor-primaries-will-face-in-novemb.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/byron-donalds-and-david-jolly-win-florida-governor-primaries-will-face-in-novemb" category: "Politics" area: "United States" published: "2026-08-19T00:46:18.221Z" source_reported: "2026-08-19T00:05:35.000Z" updated: "2026-08-19T00:46:18.221Z" trust_score: 65 critic_score: 75 hype_score: 15 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-08-19T00:30:14.458173+00:00" --- # 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* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 65 of 100, higher is better. All outlets cite AP or project results; no independent sourcing beyond AP. - Craft 75 of 100, higher is better. All outlets quote affected candidates or provide context. - Hype 15 of 100, lower is better. Headlines are measured and proportionate to the content. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - 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. 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. ## Who covered it Shares of the 12 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 50% (6) - Centre: 42% (5) - Right: 8% (1) 0 of 12 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-08-19T00:30:14.458173+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 1 time; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-08-19T01:00:41.015Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left - 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 - 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 - 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. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - mixed: 1 - high: 5 - veryHigh: 6 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [CBS News](https://cbsnews.com/news/florida-governors-race-primary-results-byron-donalds-david-jolly) — Byron Donalds, David Jolly to face off in Florida governor's race after primary wins - [Fox News](https://foxnews.com/politics/trumps-handpicked-desantis-successor-wins-crowded-gop-primary-florida-governor) — Trump's handpicked DeSantis successor wins crowded GOP primary for Florida governor - [Orillia Matters](https://orilliamatters.com/world-news/us-rep-byron-donalds-wins-gop-nod-for-governor-and-former-rep-david-jolly-the-democratic-nomination-12680800) — US Rep Byron Donalds wins GOP nod for governor and former Rep. David Jolly the Democratic nomination - [burlingtontoday.com](https://burlingtontoday.com/world-news/us-rep-byron-donalds-wins-gop-nod-for-governor-and-former-rep-david-jolly-the-democratic-nomination-12680800) — US Rep Byron Donalds wins GOP nod for governor and former Rep. David Jolly the Democratic nomination - [Oskaloosa Herald](https://oskaloosa.com/news/national_news/us-rep-byron-donalds-wins-gop-nod-for-governor-and-former-rep-david-jolly-the/article_29976e90-0e01-5d5e-9494-f5e8055781b7.html) — US Rep Byron Donalds wins GOP nod for governor and former Rep. David Jolly the Democratic nomination - [Richmond Register](https://richmondregister.com/ap/national/us-rep-byron-donalds-wins-gop-nod-for-governor-and-former-rep-david-jolly-the/article_70bd6cc1-66d5-5464-98d1-eed83c2121c0.html) — US Rep Byron Donalds wins GOP nod for governor and former Rep. David Jolly the Democratic nomination - [NBC News](https://nbcnews.com/politics/2026-election/republican-byron-donalds-democrat-david-jolly-set-square-floridas-gove-rcna592352) — Republican Byron Donalds and Democrat David Jolly set to square off for Florida’s governorship - [meadowlakeNOW](https://meadowlakenow.com/2026/08/18/florida-holds-primaries-for-governor-and-congress-testing-trumps-grip-on-adopted-state) — US Rep Byron Donalds wins GOP nod for governor and former Rep. David Jolly the Democratic nomination - [Tampa Bay Times](https://tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/elections/2026/08/18/governors-race-results-donalds-jolly-desantis) — Byron Donalds, David Jolly cruise to wins in Florida governor primaries - [Palm Beach Post](https://palmbeachpost.com/story/news/politics/elections/2026/08/18/florida-governor-results-gauge-david-jolly-democratic-sway/91262959007) — David Jolly election results in Florida Democratic primary: A sure win? - [The Washington Post](https://washingtonpost.com/elections/2026/08/18/florida-governor-primary-results-live-byron-donalds-jay-collins-david-jolly-run) — Byron Donalds, David Jolly win Florida governor primaries. See live results. - [KSAT 12](https://ksat.com/news/politics/2026/08/18/florida-holds-primaries-for-governor-and-congress-testing-trumps-grip-on-adopted-state) — US Rep Byron Donalds wins GOP nod for governor and former Rep. David Jolly the Democratic nomination ## Questions **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. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/politics/byron-donalds-and-david-jolly-win-florida-governor-primaries-will-face-in-novemb. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "Byron Donalds and David Jolly win Florida governor primaries, will face in November", https://mediabias.news/politics/byron-donalds-and-david-jolly-win-florida-governor-primaries-will-face-in-novemb