Byron Donalds says he’s talked with Ron DeSantis, Jay Collins as GOP unites behind Gov. nominee

A time of acrimony smooths out into intraparty unity.

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After a tough Primary season, Republicans are uniting behind the gubernatorial nominee.

That was one of the messages delivered by Byron Donalds at the Republican Party of Florida’s victory rally Thursday in Tampa.

He said that he had talked to Gov. Ron DeSantis and Lt. Gov. Jay Collins, closing the loop on a period when Donalds was kept at arm’s length by the incumbent and repeatedly attacked by his second-in-command, who ultimately finished second.

Regarding DeSantis, Donalds said the two were “talking about some items” and that it was “good” to talk to him.

DeSantis and Donalds had an alliance in previous years, with the Congressman from Naples helping DeSantis with debate prep in his 2018 race against Andrew Gillum, but the dynamic chilled when Donalds backed Donald Trump in the 2024 Presidential Primary.

While DeSantis once said Donalds had been no help in the battles to defeat recreational marijuana and abortion amendments in 2024, the Governor has moved on from that disappointment and now supports his potential successor.

Donalds also credited Collins with “running a spirited campaign.”

“He’s done a tremendous service for this state, and obviously a tremendous service for this nation,” Donalds said.

Collins carried 17 counties on Tuesday: Calhoun, Columbia, Dixie, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Hardee, Holmes, Jackson, Jefferson, Lafayette, Levy, Liberty, Madison, Suwannee, Taylor, Union, Washington.

They are rural counties where 94% of registered voters are White.