2026 Florida gubernatorial election
The 2026 Florida gubernatorial election will take place on November 3, 2026, to elect the governor of Florida, alongside the elections to the United States House of Representatives and other state and local elections. Incumbent Republican Governor Ron DeSantis will be term-limited by the Florida Constitution and cannot seek re-election to a third consecutive term.
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| Elections in Florida |
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 Government |
Eligibility & requirements
Section 5 of the Florida Constitution states that, for a person to serve as governor, they must:[1]
- Be at least thirty years old.
- Be a permanent resident of Florida for at least seven years.
- Not have served as governor for six years or more of the two prior terms.
Republican primary
Publicly expressed interest
- Byron Donalds, U.S. Representative from Florida's 19th congressional district (2021–present)[2][3]
- Michael Waltz, U.S. Representative from Florida's 6th congressional district (2019–present)[4]
Potential
- Richard Corcoran, commissioner of the Florida Department of Education (2019–2022) and former Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives (2016–2018) from the 37th district (2010–2018)[5]
- Casey DeSantis, First Lady of Florida (2019–present)[5][6]
- Matt Gaetz, U.S. Representative from Florida's 1st congressional district (2017−present)[7]
- Ashley Moody, Attorney General of Florida (2019–present)[8]
- Jeanette Nuñez, Lieutenant Governor of Florida (2019–present)[9]
- Jimmy Patronis, Chief Financial Officer of Florida (2017–present)[8][10]
- Anthony Sabatini, chair of the Lake County Republican Party (2022–present), former state representative from the 32nd district (2018–2022), and candidate for Florida's 7th congressional district in 2022 and the 11th district in 2024[8]
- Wilton Simpson, Florida Commissioner of Agriculture (2023–present)[8]
- Francis Suarez, mayor of Miami (2017–present) and former candidate for President in 2024[5]
Campaign speculation
In September 2023, it was reported that Representative Matt Gaetz is "widely expected" to mount a gubernatorial bid in 2026.[11] Notable Republican figures, including Donald Trump Jr. and Kimberly Guilfoyle, have publicly encouraged Gaetz to mount a candidacy.[12] Fellow Representative Byron Donalds, who has also received speculation regarding a potential bid for Governor, indicated he would not support a gubernatorial bid mounted by Gaetz.
Democratic primary
Potential
- Fentrice Driskell, Minority Leader of the Florida House of Representatives (2022–present) from the 67th district (2018–present)[13]
- Anna Eskamani, state representative (2018–present)[14]
- Nikki Fried, chair of the Florida Democratic Party (2023–present), former Florida Commissioner of Agriculture (2019–2023), and candidate for governor in 2022[15]
References
- "Article IV, Florida Constitution". Ballotpedia. Retrieved May 13, 2023.
- Aabram, Virginia (March 4, 2023). "Is Byron Donalds the next Florida GOP superstar?". Washington Examiner. Retrieved May 13, 2023.
- Leonard, Kimberly (April 6, 2023). "Stunning endorsement: DeSantis ally Rep. Byron Donalds backs Trump for president in 2024". Business Insider. Retrieved May 13, 2023.
- Dixon, Matt (September 18, 2023). "'He's 100% in': Matt Gaetz widely expected to run for Florida governor". NBC News. Retrieved September 18, 2023.
- "While DeSantis struggles with his run for president, who's next for Florida governor?". Tallahassee Democrat. Retrieved July 28, 2023.
- Palmeri, Tara (August 18, 2023). "Imagining "Jillary" DeSantis". Puck. Retrieved September 19, 2023.
- Ray, Sha'de (October 8, 2023). "Congressman Matt Gaetz denies plans for 2026 governor run". WEAR. Retrieved October 10, 2023.
- Fineout, Gary (May 15, 2023). "The Trump-DeSantis choice coming for Florida GOP". POLITICO. Retrieved May 15, 2023.
- Fineout, Gary; Carney, Jordain (February 16, 2023). "Matt Gaetz had a hell of a month. What's next for the Florida Republican?". POLITICO. Retrieved May 13, 2023.
- Ogles, Jacob (June 23, 2023). "Jimmy Patronis' family wants him to run for Governor". Florida Politics. Retrieved June 24, 2023.
- "'He's 100% in': Matt Gaetz widely expected to run for Florida governor". NBC News. September 18, 2023. Retrieved September 19, 2023.
- Daugherty, Eric (August 24, 2023). "Trump Jr., Guilfoyle praise a theoretical Matt Gaetz campaign for governor". Florida’s Voice. Retrieved September 19, 2023.
- "Florida Democrats may be about to get a big name against 'ass clown' senator". Daily Kos. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
- Elias, Dave (September 20, 2023). "4 potential candidates emerge in 2026 Florida governor's race". NBC2 News. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
- Fineout, Gary. "Florida Dems elect Nikki Fried to lead the party after 'horrific November'". Politico. Retrieved May 18, 2023.
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