2026 Florida gubernatorial election
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| Elections in Florida |
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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. Incumbent Republican Governor Ron DeSantis is term-limited and cannot seek election to a third consecutive term in office.
Eligibility and requirements
[edit]Article IV, Section 5(b), 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
[edit]Candidates
[edit]Publicly expressed interest
[edit]- Matt Gaetz, former U.S. representative for Florida's 1st congressional district (2017−2024) and former nominee for U.S. Attorney General[2][3]
- Byron Donalds, U.S. representative for Florida's 19th congressional district (2021–present)[4][3]
- Ashton Hayward, former Mayor of Pensacola (2011–2018)[5]
Potential
[edit]- Ashley Moody, Attorney General of Florida (2019–present)[6][3]
- Jeanette Nuñez, Lieutenant Governor of Florida (2019–present)[6][3]
- Jimmy Patronis, Chief Financial Officer of Florida (2017–present)[6]
- Wilton Simpson, Florida Commissioner of Agriculture (2023–present)[6]
Declined
[edit]- Casey DeSantis, former WJXT newscaster and First Lady of Florida (2019–present)[7]
Endorsements
[edit]Polling
[edit]Hypothetical polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[b] |
Margin of error |
Casey DeSantis |
Byron Donalds |
Matt Gaetz |
Ashley Moody |
Jeanette Nuñez |
Jimmy Patronis |
Wilton Simpson |
Francis Suarez |
Michael Waltz |
Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florida Atlantic University/ Mainstreet Research |
June 8–9, 2024 | 366 (RV) | ± 3.3% | 43% | 19% | 13% | 14% | – | 5% | – | – | – | 7%[c] | – |
| Victory Insights | April 3–6, 2024 | 1,200 (LV) | ± 2.9% | – | 21% | 13% | – | – | 3% | 2% | – | 5% | 14%[d] | 43% |
| University of North Florida | October 23 – November 4, 2023 | 788 (LV) | ± 3.77% | 22% | 9% | 9% | 6% | 2% | 3% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 6%[e] | 40% |
- Casey DeSantis vs. Matt Gaetz
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[b] |
Margin of error |
Casey DeSantis |
Matt Gaetz |
Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florida Atlantic University/Mainstreet Research | April 15–17, 2024 | 372 (RV) | ± 3.3% | 38% | 16% | 20% | 26% |
Democratic primary
[edit]Candidates
[edit]Publicly expressed interest
[edit]- Shevrin Jones, state senator from the 35th district (2020–present) and chair of the Miami-Dade County Democratic Party (2024–present)[3]
- Jared Moskowitz, U.S. representative from Florida's 23rd congressional district (2023–present)[9]
- Jason Pizzo, state senator from the 37th district (2018–present)[10][11]
Potential
[edit]- Lauren Book, minority leader of the Florida Senate (2023–present) from the 35th district (2016–present)[12]
- Donna Deegan, mayor of Jacksonville (2023–present)[12][13]
- Fentrice Driskell, minority leader of the Florida House of Representatives (2022–present) from the 67th district (2018–present)[14]
- Anna Eskamani, state representative from 42nd district (2018–present)[15]
- Nikki Fried, chair of the Florida Democratic Party (2023–present), former Florida Commissioner of Agriculture (2019–2023), and candidate for governor in 2022[16]
- Daniella Levine Cava, mayor of Miami-Dade County (2020–present)[17]
Independents
[edit]Filed paperwork
[edit]- Moliere Dimanche, writer[18]
Publicly expressed interest
[edit]- John Morgan, lawyer and founder of Morgan & Morgan[19]
General election
[edit]Polling
[edit]Hypothetical polling
Generic Republican vs. generic Democrat
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[b] |
Margin of error |
Generic Republican |
Generic Democrat |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cygnal (R) | October 26–28, 2024 | 600 (LV) | ± 3.98% | 48% | 41% | 11% |
See also
[edit]Notes
[edit]- Partisan clients
References
[edit]- ^ "Article IV, Florida Constitution". Ballotpedia. Retrieved May 13, 2023.
- ^ Calder, Rich (November 23, 2024). "Ex-Rep. Matt Gaetz teases run for Florida governor". New York Post. Retrieved November 24, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e Neely, Samantha (November 25, 2024). "Can DeSantis run in 2026? Matt Gaetz and others who may get in race for Florida governor". Tallahassee Democrat. Retrieved November 28, 2024.
- ^ Adragna, Anthony (November 27, 2024). "Johnson's next margin headache: Manchin-style Republicans". Politico. Retrieved November 28, 2024.
- ^ Little, Jim (November 14, 2024). "Campaign to replace Matt Gaetz in Congress starting to take shape". Pensacola News Journal. Retrieved November 18, 2024.
- ^ a b c d Gancarski, A.G. (July 7, 2024). "Flagship conservative mag floats 'clearing a lane' for Casey DeSantis' Governor run". Florida Politics. Retrieved August 27, 2024.
- ^ Wilson, Kirby (May 13, 2024). "Casey DeSantis has 'zero' interest in running for governor, Ron DeSantis says". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved November 28, 2024.
- ^ Gancarski, A.G. (May 8, 2024). "After Gainesville pizza problem, Ric Flair endorses Ashley Moody for Governor". Florida Politics.
- ^ Leonard, Kimberly (March 6, 2024). "DeSantis sends state troops to manage spring breakers". Politico. Retrieved March 6, 2024.
- ^ Man, Anthony (September 21, 2024). "Dissatisfied with his party's potential candidates, Democratic state senator may run for Florida governor". Sun Sentinel. Archived from the original on September 21, 2024. Retrieved October 6, 2024.
- ^ Man, Anthony (November 25, 2024). "Potential candidates already look to 2026. LaMarca for Congress? Book's return to Florida Senate?". Sun Sentinel. Retrieved November 27, 2024.
[Pizzo's] also said he might seek the Democratic nomination for governor in 2026
- ^ a b Jackson, Ken (November 11, 2023). "A way-too-early look at the '26 Governor's election". Around Osceola. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
- ^ "So who's going to be the next governor of Florida?". City & State FL. October 10, 2023. Retrieved March 5, 2024.
- ^ "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.
- ^ Wilson, Kirby (May 24, 2024). "The 2026 Florida governor's race is already taking shape. Here's who could run". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
- ^ Hanks, Douglas (August 21, 2024). "Miami-Dade's Democratic mayor won big this week. Is a run for Florida governor next?". Miami Herald. Archived from the original on August 22, 2024. Retrieved October 6, 2024.
- ^ Of Elections, Florida Division (June 26, 2024). "Candidate Tracking System". Florida Division of Elections. Retrieved June 26, 2024.
- ^ Soule, Douglas (May 29, 2024). "John Morgan endorses recreational marijuana in Florida, says he 'might' run for governor". The Tallahassee Democrat. Retrieved July 16, 2024.
