Byron Donalds names Bryan Avila as running mate in Florida governor’s race
Key Points(5)
- Florida's Republican gubernatorial candidate Rep.
- Byron Donalds announced state Sen.
- Bryan Avila as his running mate at Miami's Freedom Tower on Tuesday morning.
- "I am deeply honored to join Byron Donalds and accept the Republican nomination for lieutenant governor," Avila said.
- Advertisement Avila is a self-described "America-first conservative Republican." He submitted his resignation letter from the state Senate to Gov.
Republican gubernatorial candidate Byron Donalds, who is of Jamaican descent, has selected Florida state Sen. Bryan Avila as his running mate in the race for governor.
Donalds, whose mother is Jamaican, will face Democratic candidate David Jolly in November as he seeks to become Florida’s first Black governor.
“I am deeply honored to join Byron Donalds and accept the Republican nomination for lieutenant governor,” Avila said following the announcement.
Avila, a longtime South Florida lawmaker who describes himself as an “America-first conservative Republican,” submitted his resignation letter from the Florida Senate to Gov. Ron DeSantis in August.
Before joining the Senate, Avila represented Hialeah and parts of Miami in the Florida House from 2014 to 2022.
He also serves as a captain in the Florida Army National Guard and has experience participating in hurricane response missions.
Avila highlighted his own immigrant family background while accepting the nomination, speaking about being the son of Cuban exiles who fled communism.
“I can assure you, with Byron as governor and me as lieutenant governor, socialism will never find a home in the great state of Florida,” Avila said.
Donalds’ Jamaican heritage has become a notable part of his biography during his rise in Florida politics. Born in Brooklyn, New York, he was raised by his Jamaican mother, who has spoken about emphasizing education and discipline while raising her children.
The Republican congressman currently represents Southwest Florida in the U.S. House and has emerged as a prominent figure in the national Republican Party.
Donalds will face Jolly, a former Republican congressman who later left the party, in the November general election.
Jolly selected former U.S. Rep. Gwen Graham as his running mate ahead of the Democratic primary. Graham is the daughter of the late Bob Graham, who served as both Florida governor and U.S. senator.
