U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds is the clear choice of the business and political establishment in Tallahassee going into Tuesday’s primary election for the Republican nomination for governor.
Now the question is whether Republican voters will follow suit.
The 47-year-old Naples Republican has received the backing of the Florida Chamber of Commerce, Florida Retail Federation and, of course, President Donald J. Trump. The president’s endorsement has been singled out as a key in catapulting him to a lead in pre-election public opinion polls.
The polls have proven less than reliable in other primary elections around the country this summer. However, when it comes to fundraising support, Donalds is in a league of his own.
He had raised more than $111 million as of Aug. 17. More than $99 million of that came from his political committee, Friends of Byron Donalds. If he does win the GOP primary Tuesday, he will have tens of millions more to spend going into the November general election. His PAC has more than $51 million in cash on hand and another $6.8 million sits in his regular campaign account.
No other candidate in the race, Republican or Democrat, comes close.
Lt. Gov. Jay Collins has raised a little less than $10 million in his Quiet Professionals FL political committee. He has $220,000 in that account. Collins raised more than $562,000 in his campaign account and has nearly $203,000 left there.
Former House Speaker Paul Renner has raised $6.2 million in his political committee, with $164,000 in cash on hand. In his regular campaign account, he has raised more than $490,000 and has nearly $210,000 there.
Investment firm CEO James Fishback has raised more than $1.2 million in his Florida First PAC, and more than $705,000 in his regular campaign account — including $100,000 he loaned to his own campaign on Aug. 13. He has $2,371 left in that account.
David Jolly, the top Democrat in the race, has raised more than $6.3 million in his regular campaign account and still has $2.9 million in cash on hand. Jolly has raised more than $3.9 million in his political committee and still has $864,937 there.
‘I am the closest thing you’ll find’ to DeSantis
While Donalds has Trump’s backing, he doesn’t have the support of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. The governor, who remains popular with the GOP base in the Sunshine State, has chosen not to endorse any of the Republicans vying to succeed him, neutralizing what might have been an asset to one of the competitors.
That doesn’t mean that some Republican candidates aren’t saying that they really have his support.
Speaking in Palm Harbor in Pinellas County Saturday, Renner noted DeSantis’ recent comments about the former speaker of the Florida House which were by far the most positive things he’s said of any the Republicans running to replace him.
Speaking in Lehigh Acres Aug. 6, DeSantis said he has been reminded that he dismissed Renner’s candidacy in September as an “ill-advised decision to enter the race.”
As the primary election grows nearer, DeSantis had apparently had a change of heart.
“People said, You know, when he ran, I didn’t advise him to run. It wasn’t because I didn’t think that he could become a good governor,” DeSantis said. “I think he would be really good. He’s got a great record of policy. But, what’s your strategy to get known? How do you get known to people?”
Renner attempted Saturday to make the most of those comments.
“I am the closest thing that you’ll find to the great governor we have today,” he said.
Renner noted that the governor has maintained he is not endorsing anyone in the race, but noted, “He’s gotta vote, too.”
“And he indicated in that press conference having nothing to do with this governor’s race and broke in and said, ‘Paul Renner would actually make a really good governor.’ So, I think we know where’s headed,” he said as the crowd gathered at the Innisbrook Resort applauded.
Collins had been the candidate many political observers believed DeSantis would endorse after appointing him to this position last summer. But that never happened. Yet Collins maintains DeSantis’ belief a year ago that he could be his able successor has never changed.
“Last time I checked, there were 23.5 million people in Florida,” Collins said last week during a video press conference. “I’m the only one who was hand-picked to be the lieutenant governor. What he said on Day One is still factual, functional, and true. I am Day One ready. I’m ready to lead the state of Florida. I don’t need training wheels. I don’t need a time to warm up in the bullpen. I’m running to make sure that we continue what we built.”
Renner said that despite what Collins says, it “speaks volumes” that DeSantis chose not to endorse him.
“Because I think a year ago, he was ready to do that, and you make observations — there has been stuff on social media —I don’t want to get into it … but I appreciate Jay’s sacrifice. There’s no question he’s shown courage. He and I were close allies when I was speaker and [he] was in the Senate, but there’s some things in temperament and, frankly, integrity for my opinion, that are really concerning to me that I’ve seen over the last year.
“And look, everybody gets desperate to try to win a race and what they’ll be willing to say, and I’ve never claimed an endorsement from the governor. I don’t claim it today other than what he said last week was a pretty clear signal about where he’s going to vote, even though he’s not going to get involved in endorsements. But I think the fact that he wasn’t endorsed speaks all you need to know.”
Florida Phoenix is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Florida Phoenix maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Michael Moline for questions: info@floridaphoenix.com.
