David Jolly, 2026 Florida Governor Democratic candidate
David Jolly
DEMOCRATIC
US House of Representatives (R-FL)
2014 – 2017
Florida state flag

Florida 2026 GOVERNOR FORECAST

Byron Donalds, 2026 Florida Governor Republican candidate
Byron Donalds
REPUBLICAN
US House of Representatives (R-FL)
2021 – Present

2026 Florida Governor Forecast:

Proprietary forecast for Florida's Governor election between Democrat David Jolly and Republican Byron Donalds. This page will update with a daily set of 100,000 new simulations as race fundamentals change in order to produce race odds, projected margin, and forecasted vote share.

The 2026 Florida governor election features Democrat David Jolly and Republican Byron Donalds. The governorship is open and is currently controlled by Republicans. In 2024, Donald Trump won Florida by 13.1%, and Republicans are expected to easily retain the state's governorship in 2026. Florida has leaned Republican in recent statewide elections, but open-seat races can become more competitive when both parties have well-known nominees and no incumbent on the ballot.

Year
2026
Race
Governor
State
Florida
Democratic candidate
David Jolly
Republican candidate
Byron Donalds
Incumbent / open seat
Open Seat
Forecast rating
Likely R
Projected vote
46.6% D / 53.5% R
Projected margin
R +6.9
Forecast odds
15.8% D / 84.2% R
Forecast last updated
12:00 AM on August 4, 2026
Polling average
39.5% D / 43.3% R
Polling average margin
R +3.8
Polling last updated
12:00 AM on August 5, 2026
Polls included
16
Latest poll
University of North Florida — July 17, 2026