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.
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Eligibility and requirements
editArticle 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
editCandidates
editPublicly expressed interest
edit- Byron Donalds, U.S. representative for Florida's 19th congressional district (2021–present)[2][3]
- Matt Gaetz, former U.S. representative for Florida's 1st congressional district (2017–2024)[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]
- 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
editPolling
editHypothetical 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[9] |
June 8–9, 2024 | 366 (RV) | ± 3.3% | 43% | 19% | 13% | 14% | – | 5% | – | – | – | 7%[c] | – |
| Victory Insights[10] | April 3–6, 2024 | 1,200 (LV) | ± 2.9% | – | 21% | 13% | – | – | 3% | 2% | – | 5% | 14%[d] | 43% |
| University of North Florida[11] | 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[12] | April 15–17, 2024 | 372 (RV) | ± 3.3% | 38% | 16% | 20% | 26% |
Democratic primary
editCandidates
editPublicly 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]
- Jason Pizzo, state senator from the 37th district (2018–present)[13][14]
Potential
edit- Daniella Levine Cava, mayor of Miami-Dade County (2020–present)[15]
Declined
edit- Jared Moskowitz, U.S. representative from Florida's 23rd congressional district (2023–present)[16] (running for re-election)[17]
Independents
editFiled paperwork
edit- Molière Dimanche, writer[18]
Publicly expressed interest
edit- John Morgan, lawyer and founder of Morgan & Morgan[19]
General election
editPolling
editSee also
editNotes
editPartisan clients
References
edit- ^ "Article IV, Florida Constitution". Ballotpedia. Retrieved May 13, 2023.
- ^ Adragna, Anthony (November 27, 2024). "Johnson's next margin headache: Manchin-style Republicans". Politico. Retrieved November 28, 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.
- ^ Calder, Rich (November 23, 2024). "Ex-Rep. Matt Gaetz teases run for Florida governor". New York Post. Retrieved November 24, 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 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.
- ^ Florida Atlantic University/
Mainstreet Research - ^ Victory Insights
- ^ University of North Florida
- ^ Florida Atlantic University/Mainstreet Research
- ^ 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
- ^ 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.
- ^ Solender, Andrew (November 27, 2024). "Scoop: A huge wave of House members is eyeing runs for other offices in 2026". Axios. Retrieved November 27, 2024.
- ^ Adragna, Anthony (December 17, 2024). "Moskowitz brushes aside FEMA reports". Politico. Retrieved December 17, 2024.
'I am staying in Congress and running for re-election,' Moskowitz (D-Fla.) said
- ^ Of Elections, Florida Division (June 26, 2024). "Candidate Tracking System". Florida Division of Elections. Retrieved June 26, 2024.
- ^ Leonard, Kimberly (December 12, 2024). "John Morgan on how he'd run for gov". Politico. Retrieved December 13, 2024.
- ^ Cygnal (R)