Republican Rep. Byron Donalds has intensified outreach to Black voters in South Florida, saying he aims for "north of 20%" of that electorate. He is using targeted door-knocking and community events and emphasizes merit-based messaging rather than identity appeals. Voters reacted mixedly: some warmed to him after conversations, while others said his ties to Donald Trump and refusal to sign a voting-rights pledge undermine his credibility. With polls showing a close race, gains with Black voters could be decisive.
Byron Donalds Targets Black Voters in Tight Florida Governor’s Race — Mixed Reactions on the Ground
Republican Florida gubernatorial candidate Byron Donalds speaks at the Black Professionals Summit's Legacy Con on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026. / Credit: Seiji Yamashita/CBS News
MIAMI — Republican Rep. Byron Donalds, a rising figure in Florida GOP politics, has begun explicitly courting Black voters as he campaigns to become Florida's next governor. After years of avoiding identity-based appeals, Donalds told CBS News he is now aiming for "north of 20%" of the Black vote and has stepped up community outreach across the Miami area.
Outreach Strategy and Messaging
Donalds has adopted a targeted, retail-style approach: door-knocking in Black neighborhoods in North Miami and Broward County, visits to Black-owned businesses, and appearances at community events such as the Black Professionals Summit's Legacy Con. He has emphasized a merit-based message — "Florida is a meritocracy" — and urged voters to judge him by his ideas and record rather than party labels or past alliances.
Trump Ties Complicate Reception
His ties to former President Donald Trump remain a complicating factor. Donalds was a prominent surrogate for Trump in 2024 and co-led the "Congress, Cigars & Cognac" tour aimed at Black audiences. Some voters warmed to Donalds after long conversations — like Jermaine Woodside, who left a dinner discussion more open to the congressman — but others said his association with Trump would be a liability.
"Look at the issues I'm pushing forward. Look at the ideas that I talk about. Yes, the president's endorsed me... But I'm running to be governor of Florida," Donalds told CBS News.
Voices From the Community
Reactions at Donalds' events were mixed. At a meet-and-greet in predominantly Black Overtown, Miami resident Kalyn James quietly protested with a "Vote Blue" sign, saying she doubts Donalds' level of support in the community. Jasmine Burney-Clark, founder of the nonpartisan voting-rights group Equal Ground, criticized Donalds for declining to sign her organization's candidate pledge to back a Democratic-backed state voting-rights bill, calling his outreach insincere.
Political Context
The stakes are clear: Florida's governor's race has tightened in recent polling, and a sustained shift among Black voters could materially alter the contest. For context, CBS News exit polls showed Gov. Ron DeSantis won about 13% of Black voters in 2022, while President Trump captured roughly 15% of the Black vote in Florida in 2024.
Donalds is one of three nominees this year who could become the first Black Republican governor if elected; historically, only three Black individuals have ever been elected governor in the U.S. Donalds described the prospect of making history as "wild," even as he largely avoids framing his campaign around identity.
Bottom Line
Donalds is applying a previously successful surrogate playbook to his own campaign: targeted, conversational outreach intended to chip away at Democratic advantages with Black voters. Early on-the-ground reports show modest openings with some voters, but persistent concerns about his relationship with Trump and unanswered questions about policy commitments leave his path uncertain.
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