Why It Matters
Florida’s 2026 gubernatorial contest is taking shape with both major parties now fielding full tickets. Republican congressional candidate Byron Donalds has selected a state legislator with deep South Florida roots to join his campaign, setting up a general election matchup that highlights sharply different coalition-building approaches between the two parties.
What Happened
Donalds announced Tuesday that Miami-Dade County state Sen. Bryan Avila would be his running mate, with the announcement made at Freedom Tower in Miami — a site historically significant to Cuban exiles. The two then traveled to campaign events in Sanford and St. Petersburg later that day.
Avila, 42, was born in Miami Springs to Cuban exile parents and has served in the Florida Legislature since 2014, when he was first elected to the state House of Representatives. He later won a state Senate seat running unopposed in 2022 and was re-elected in 2024. He also holds the rank of captain in the Florida Army National Guard.
Donalds highlighted Avila’s conservative legislative record, noting his co-sponsorship of the “Stop Woke Act” and work on other priorities. “He’s sponsored and co-sponsored the ‘Stop Woke Act,'” Donalds said at the announcement, citing Avila’s stances on merit-based policy and opposition to DEI programs.
Avila drew on his family’s background to frame his opposition to left-leaning economic ideas. “So, when I hear Democrats casually embracing socialism, I know where that road leads,” he said, as first reported by the Florida Phoenix.
By the Numbers
- 2014: Year Avila was first elected to the Florida House
- 2022: Year Avila won his state Senate seat, running unopposed
- 42: Avila’s current age
- 2024: Year Avila was re-elected to his Senate seat
Legislative Record
During his time in the Legislature, Avila has focused on economic and technology policy, sponsoring measures to regulate data centers and backing a property tax cut constitutional amendment that Florida voters will consider on the November ballot. His Senate district covers parts of Miami-Dade County.
The Broader Race
Donalds entered the general election after Jay Collins defeated him in last week’s Republican primary. On the Democratic side, former Florida gubernatorial candidate David Jolly is the nominee, with former U.S. Representative Gwen Graham as his running mate.
The two tickets present a notable demographic contrast. Donalds, who is Black, and Avila, who is Cuban-American, form a racially diverse Republican ticket. Jolly and Graham are both white candidates. Florida Democrats are also navigating a competitive U.S. Senate primary, where Angie Nixon — a member of the Democratic Socialists of America — emerged as the party’s Senate nominee.
Zoom Out
Florida has trended reliably Republican in statewide races over the past several cycles, and the GOP’s effort to build a multiracial conservative coalition mirrors similar strategies pursued by national Republican figures in recent years. The selection of Avila, with his Cuban-American identity and National Guard service, reflects an attempt to consolidate base support in South Florida while appealing to working-class voters statewide.
Avila’s background also fits within a broader Republican messaging effort that frames Cuban and Venezuelan immigrant communities as natural allies against policies seen as socialist-adjacent — a line of argument that has proven effective in Miami-Dade County, which shifted toward Republicans in the 2020 and 2022 election cycles.
What’s Next
Both tickets will spend the coming weeks building out their campaign infrastructure ahead of the November general election. The property tax cut amendment Avila championed is also headed to voters on the same ballot, potentially boosting turnout among fiscal conservatives. Donalds and Avila’s first joint appearances in Sanford and St. Petersburg on Tuesday signal an early focus on Central Florida, a perennial battleground in statewide contests.