Florida GOP governor candidate Byron Donalds courts skeptical Black voters
Updated on: October 4, 2026 / 9:48 PM EDT / CBS News
TL;DR
- Rep. Byron Donalds, the Republican nominee for Florida governor, is making a focused effort to reach Black voters.
- He is targeting "north of 20%" of the Black vote, aiming for a significant increase from past Republican performance.
- Donalds is running a campaign that emphasizes Florida as a meritocracy, downplaying race as a primary factor.
- His outreach strategy mirrors his past role as a surrogate for Donald Trump, engaging in informal conversations.
- Some Black voters and activists are skeptical, concerned about Donalds' association with Donald Trump and his past political actions.
- Donalds defends his campaign by urging voters to focus on his policy ideas rather than his history with Trump.
- A potential win for Donalds would place him among a very small group of Black state executives in U.S. history.