GOP's Byron Donalds Courts Black Voters in Bid to Become Florida's First Black Governor

Republican Byron Donalds wants to make history by becoming Florida's first Black governor. He has a lot of money and the support of President Donald Trump. But polls show that most Black voters in Florida plan to vote for his opponent, Democrat David Jolly — who is white. The election is set for November 3.

Donalds is a member of Congress from the Naples area of Florida. The current governor, Republican Ron DeSantis, cannot run again because of term limits, which are rules that limit how many times someone can hold an office. DeSantis has endorsed Donalds, meaning he officially supports him. Donalds also beat several white opponents to win the Republican primary in August.

Even so, Donalds has a problem with Black voters. A poll taken in late September showed that only 10% of Black voters planned to vote for him. Meanwhile, 76% said they would vote for Jolly, and 14% had not made up their minds yet. The poll surveyed 625 registered voters and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.

One reason Donalds is reaching out to Black voters is that his support among white conservatives is not strong enough. He lost 17 Florida counties to white opponents during the August primary. Experts say some white Republican voters may not support him because he is Black or because he is trying to earn Black votes.

Donalds has been visiting Black communities across Florida to share his message. His campaign has a Black outreach director named Janiyah Thomas, who said Donalds has visited barbershops, cigar lounges, and small businesses. She said he has built a coalition, or team, of Black leaders including pastors and business owners. 'Every voter in Florida matters to this campaign,' Thomas said.

At a forum at Florida A&M University — a historically Black college that Donalds once attended — he challenged Black students to think differently about politics. He said Black voters have supported Democrats since the 1960s and asked whether the Democratic Party had kept its promises. 'Stop moving like a monolith,' he told students, meaning he did not want them to all vote the same way without questioning it.

Some Black leaders agree with Donalds and have endorsed him. Cynthia Chestnut, a city commissioner in Gainesville, said, 'Black voters are not political property.' But her view is in the minority, as most polls show. State Representative Ashley Gantt, a Black supporter of Jolly, said a candidate's race is not the most important thing to Black voters.

Critics also point to Donalds' voting record in Congress as a reason not to trust him. He voted against a voting rights bill named after civil rights leader John Lewis. He also voted against making it easier to register to vote and against a bill protecting people from discrimination based on hairstyles like cornrows and Afros. Jolly has called Donalds' plans 'an anti-Black agenda.'

Money is a major difference between the two candidates. As of late September, Donalds had raised more than $134 million, while Jolly had raised only about $17 million. Jolly said he needs more support from the Democratic Party to compete in Florida's expensive media market. 'I'm begging for help,' Jolly said.

The Trump connection is another challenge for Donalds among Black voters. A clear majority of Black voters oppose Trump's policies, and many see Donalds as part of that agenda. Donalds updated his website to downplay the Trump endorsement, but experts say it is too late to change that image. 'He can't unring that bell now,' said polling expert Sean Freeder.

Donalds insists his plan is about creating opportunity for all people, no matter their race. He says he believes in a system based on merit, meaning people should succeed because of their skills and hard work. 'I don't support discrimination. I don't support racism. I don't support bigotry,' he said at Florida A&M. Whether Black voters accept that message will be decided on Election Day, November 3.