2026 Florida gubernatorial election
The 2026 Florida gubernatorial election will take place on November 3, 2026, to elect the next governor of Florida, alongside other state and local elections. The primary elections will take place on August 18, 2026. Incumbent Republican Governor Ron DeSantis is term-limited and cannot seek election to a third consecutive term.
Democrats have not won a gubernatorial election in Florida since Lawton Chiles was re-elected Governor in 1994.
Background
A heavily populated South Atlantic state with a large and increasingly conservative Latino American population and the northern parts lying in the Bible Belt, Florida is considered to be a moderately to strongly red state, having not elected a Democratic governor since 1994 nor a Democrat for president since 2012 and having moved significantly rightward in the last decade. In 2022, incumbent governor Ron DeSantis was re-elected by a 19.4% margin, a considerable improvement from his 0.4-point victory four years earlier in the gubernatorial election during the 2018 blue wave. This was followed two years later by Republican Donald Trump winning his adoptive home state by a 13% margin as he won a second non-consecutive presidential term, improving his 3.4% margin of victory in 2020 and seemingly diminishing Florida's longtime swing-state status. Republicans also control all statewide offices, a large majority of the state's U.S. House delegation, both U.S. Senate seats, and supermajorities in both houses of the Florida Legislature.Eligibility and requirements
Article IV, Section 5 of the Florida Constitution states that, for a person to serve as governor, they must:- 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
Candidates
Declared
- Charles Burkett, mayor of Surfside
- Jay Collins, 21st lieutenant governor of Florida
- Byron Donalds, U.S. representative for
- James Fishback, CEO of Azoria
- Paul Renner, 103rd speaker of the Florida House of Representatives from the 19th district
- Bobby Williams, activist and food bank volunteer
Withdrawn
- Bill Reicherter, real estate agent, candidate for state house in 2024, and candidate for state senate in 2022
Declined
- Matt Gaetz, former U.S. representative for
- Francis Suarez, 43rd mayor of Miami and candidate for president in 2024
Polling
| Poll source | Date administered | Sample size | Margin | Casey DeSantis | Byron Donalds | Matt Gaetz | Ashley Moody | Jeanette Nuñez | Jimmy Patronis | Wilton Simpson | Francis Suarez | Michael Waltz | Other | Undecided |
| St. Pete Polls | October 13–15, 2025 | 1,034 | ± 3.0% | 21% | 47% | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 36% |
| Targoz Market Research | September 16–18, 2025 | 510 | – | 26% | 23% | – | – | – | – | 2% | – | – | 9% | 39% |
| University of North Florida | July 14–22, 2025 | 797 | ± 3.9% | 32% | 29% | 8% | – | – | – | 1% | 2% | – | 10% | 18% |
| St. Pete Polls | July 8–10, 2025 | 831 | ± 3.4% | 27% | 35% | – | – | – | – | 3% | – | – | 2% | 32% |
| Targoz Market Research | May 5–7, 2025 | 516 | – | 29% | 28% | 10% | – | 7% | – | 4% | 5% | – | 4% | 13% |
| Targoz Market Research | April 15–22, 2025 | 619 | – | 28% | 22% | 8% | – | 9% | – | 4% | 7% | – | 4% | 18% |
| Fabrizio, Lee & Associates | February 26–27, 2025 | 600 | ± 5.0% | 30% | 34% | – | – | – | – | 3% | – | – | – | 33% |
| Victory Insights | January 26–27, 2025 | 850 | ± 3.5% | – | 34% | – | – | – | – | 5% | – | – | – | 61% |
| Victory Insights | January 26–27, 2025 | 850 | ± 3.5% | – | 31% | – | – | 4% | – | 3% | 1% | – | – | 60% |
| Florida Atlantic University/ Mainstreet Research | June 8–9, 2024 | 366 | ± 3.3% | 43% | 19% | 13% | 14% | – | 5% | – | – | – | 7% | – |
| Florida Atlantic University/ Mainstreet Research | April 15–17, 2024 | 372 | ± 3.3% | 38% | – | 16% | – | – | – | – | – | – | 20% | 26% |
| Victory Insights | April 3–6, 2024 | 1,200 | ± 2.9% | – | 21% | 13% | – | – | 3% | 2% | – | 5% | 14% | 43% |
| University of North Florida | October 23 – November 4, 2023 | 788 | ± 3.8% | 22% | 9% | 9% | 6% | 2% | 3% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 6% | 40% |
Democratic primary
Candidates
Declared
- Jerry Demings, mayor of Orange County and husband of former U.S. representative Val Demings
- David Jolly, former Republican U.S. representative from Florida's 13th congressional district
Filed paperwork
- Dayna Marie Foster, mathematics teacher
Publicly expressed interest
Declined
- Nikki Fried, chair of the Florida Democratic Party, former Florida Commissioner of Agriculture, and candidate for governor in 2022
- Fentrice Driskell, minority leader of the state House of Representatives
- Gwen Graham, former Assistant Secretary of Education, former U.S. representative from, daughter of former governor Bob Graham, and candidate for governor in 2018
- Shevrin Jones, state senator from the 34th district
- Daniella Levine Cava, mayor of Miami-Dade County
- Jared Moskowitz, U.S. representative from
- Angie Nixon, state representative from the 13th district ''''
Polling
| Poll source | Date administered | Sample size | Margin | Jason Pizzo | Daniella Levine Cava | Gwen Graham | David Jolly | Lauren Book | Angie Nixon | Shevrin Jones | Fentrice Driskell | Undecided |
| Targoz Market Research | May 5–7, 2025 | 396 | – | – | 32% | 13% | 10% | 7% | 6% | 4% | 7% | 21% |
| Targoz Market Research | April 15–22, 2025 | 464 | – | 41% | 15% | 5% | 7% | 4% | 4% | 2% | 1% | 21% |
Independent and third-party candidates
Independent candidates
Declared
- Moe Dimanche, author and former candidate for Mayor of the City of Orlando
Publicly expressed interest
- Jason Pizzo, former Democratic minority leader of the Florida Senate from the 37th district
Libertarian Party
Filed paperwork
- Scott Jewett, entrepreneur
General election
Polling
Byron Donalds vs. David Jolly| Poll source | Date administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Byron Donalds | David Jolly | Other | Undecided |
| University of North Florida | October 15–25, 2025 | 728 | ± 4.3% | 45% | 34% | 3% | 18% |
| Targoz Market Research | September 16–18, 2025 | 1,118 | ± 2.8% | 36% | 32% | 4% | 28% |
| Bendixen & Amandi International | September 7–9, 2025 | 631 | ± 4.0% | 40% | 41% | – | 19% |
| AIF Center | August 25–27, 2025 | 800 | ± 3.5% | 49% | 41% | – | 11% |
| Victory Insights | June 7–10, 2025 | 600 | ± 2.8% | 37% | 31% | – | 32% |
Paul Renner vs. David Jolly
| Poll source | Date administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Paul Renner | David Jolly | Other | Undecided |
| Targoz Market Research | September 16–18, 2025 | 1,123 | ± 2.8% | 34% | 33% | 5% | 28% |
| Bendixen & Amandi International | September 7–9, 2025 | 631 | ± 4.0% | 42% | 40% | – | 18% |
Byron Donalds vs. Jerry Demings
| Poll source | Date administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Byron Donalds | Jerry Demings | Other | Undecided |
| University of North Florida | October 15–25, 2025 | 728 | ± 4.3% | 45% | 33% | 5% | 17% |
Byron Donalds vs. Daniella Levine Cava vs. Jason Pizzo
| Poll source | Date administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Byron Donalds | Daniella Levine Cava | Jason Pizzo | Undecided |
| Targoz Market Research | May 5–7, 2025 | 1,200 | ± 2.8% | 38% | 34% | 5% | 23% |
Casey DeSantis vs. David Jolly
| Poll source | Date administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Casey DeSantis | David Jolly | Other | Undecided |
| University of North Florida | October 15–25, 2025 | 728 | ± 4.3% | 47% | 34% | 5% | 14% |
Casey DeSantis vs. Jerry Demings
| Poll source | Date administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Casey DeSantis | Jerry Demings | Other | Undecided |
| University of North Florida | October 15–25, 2025 | 728 | ± 4.3% | 47% | 36% | 6% | 11% |
Casey DeSantis vs. Daniella Levine Cava vs. Jason Pizzo
| Poll source | Date administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Casey DeSantis | Daniella Levine Cava | Jason Pizzo | Undecided |
| Targoz Market Research | May 5–7, 2025 | 1,200 | ± 2.8% | 39% | 35% | 8% | 18% |
Generic Republican vs. generic Democrat
| Poll source | Date administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Generic Republican | Generic Democrat | Undecided |
| Cygnal | August 25–27, 2025 | 1,000 | ± 3.1% | 51% | 38% | 11% |
| Cygnal | October 26–28, 2024 | 600 | ± 4.0% | 48% | 41% | 11% |