TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds may be the clear Republican front-runner in the race for Florida governor, but he says he is not treating the nomination as a foregone conclusion.
“We take it day by day,” Donalds said in an interview. “I don't like to count chickens before they hatch. The motto internally is no stone left unturned.”
WATCH: Donalds pledges another push for property-tax relief if November amendment falls short
The Naples Republican officially qualified for his gubernatorial bid, Tuesday. He now enters the next phase of the campaign with President Donald Trump’s endorsement, U.S. Sen. Rick Scott’s support and a growing list of backers across Florida. Recent polling has also shown Donalds with a sizable advantage over his Republican rivals.
Still, Donalds said voters are less interested in campaign standings than the cost of living.
“What are we going to do about insurance?” Donalds said. “What are we going to do about housing costs? What are we going to do about taxes?”
Donalds pledges continued push for property-tax relief
Property taxes are now a major issue in the governor’s race after Florida lawmakers placed a proposed constitutional amendment on the November ballot.
If approved by at least 60% of voters, the proposal would increase the homestead exemption on non-school property taxes from $50,000 to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028. Lawmakers revised Gov. Ron DeSantis’ original plan during a special session amid concerns about the potential impact on cities, counties and public services.
Donalds said he supports the broader goal of reducing the burden on homeowners.
“You shouldn't have to rent your house from the government every single year,” Donalds said. “It is your house in Florida.”
He acknowledged, however, that lawmakers and the next governor would have to confront difficult questions about lost local revenue and the cost of essential services, including law enforcement, transportation and infrastructure.
If the ballot measure fails or does not deliver sufficient relief, Donalds said he would bring the issue back as governor.
“Yes, but let's let them finish their work first,” Donalds said. “If nothing gets done, we do want to bring this back and really dig in using the Taxation and Budget Reform Commission, which is in our state's constitution.”
The commission is scheduled to convene in 2027. Donalds said it could be used to explore a more sweeping repeal of homestead property taxes or targeted relief for seniors and working families.
Donalds supports state-level AI guardrails
Donalds also said Florida should move ahead with its own artificial-intelligence regulations rather than wait for Congress to act.
The position places him at odds with Trump’s push for a more unified national framework and comes as states debate how aggressively to regulate a rapidly evolving industry.
“I understand what President Trump's trying to accomplish, but I've always felt that state-level regulation is the way to go,” Donalds said. “In part, it's just so hard to move anything through Washington, D.C.”
Donalds said Florida should establish protections for children, give parents more control over their children’s interactions with chatbots and guard against the misuse of a person’s name, image or likeness.
“I do think there are some common-sense guardrails around AI that Florida can lead on,” Donalds said.
The issue has become increasingly prominent in Tallahassee. DeSantis pushed an “AI Bill of Rights” during the 2026 legislative session, although the proposal faced resistance in the House as some Republican leaders favored a federal approach.
‘Mission accomplished’ on immigration crackdown
Donalds also defended Florida’s costly expansion of immigration enforcement, including the detention center in the Everglades known as “Alligator Alcatraz.”
The facility is being wound down as the federal government assumes a larger role in detention operations. Florida has spent hundreds of millions of dollars on immigration enforcement, including construction and operations at the Everglades site.
Asked whether the effort was a success or a waste of taxpayer money, Donalds was unequivocal.
“No, it was definitely mission accomplished,” he said.
Donalds argued that Florida stepped in when the federal government did not have sufficient resources and said the state should be reimbursed as the responsibility shifts back to Washington.
“Florida did the right thing by being proactive and trying to stand those facilities up to help Homeland when they didn't have the resources,” Donalds said. “I think we're also going to work with the feds to get those reimbursements back to make Florida whole.”
The federal government has already sent Florida an initial reimbursement of about $58 million. Asked whether he would push to recover the remaining costs, Donalds said: “Of course. We're going to work very hard to make that happen.”
A debate over debates
Even with Donalds leading the Republican field, his primary challengers are pushing him to debate. Lt. Gov. Jay Collins, who is also seeking the Republican nomination, criticized Donalds in a recent Fox News interview for declining to commit to an early debate.
“You can't pull a Biden and hide on your couch in the basement,” Collins said. “You gotta come out and debate.”
Donalds has said he wants to see which candidates qualify for the ballot before agreeing to a debate. More recently, he has urged Republicans to unite, arguing that a prolonged intra-party fight would help Democrats.
The Republican nominee will likely face former U.S. Rep. David Jolly in the general election. Jolly’s path to the Democratic nomination became clearer after Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings suspended his campaign following a prostate cancer diagnosis.
Growth — and the growing pains
Beyond the immediate political fights, Donalds said Florida must prepare for continued population growth.
His pitch is straightforward: Keep Florida moving forward, but move faster to address the strain on housing, roads, water and other infrastructure.
Donalds said Florida cannot simply close its doors to newcomers, even as some residents express frustration with the state’s rapid growth since the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The question is: Do we have a strategy for what happens when they come?” Donalds said. “I prefer to be eyes wide open and understand that when you run a great government and you have a great environment, people are going to want to be a part of that.”
Donalds said the next governor will need to balance growth with affordability and preserve what he calls the “Florida dream.”
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