Trump Ally Picks His Running Mate

Florida Republican gubernatorial nominee Byron Donalds has chosen state Sen. Bryan Ávila as his running mate, adding a Cuban American military veteran and longtime conservative lawmaker to the GOP ticket ahead of the November election.

The announcement immediately sharpened one of the central arguments Republicans are preparing to make in the Florida governor’s race: whether the state should continue the conservative policies of recent years or move in a more liberal direction under Democratic leadership.

Donalds announced Ávila at Miami’s historic Freedom Tower, a location with powerful significance for generations of Cuban Americans who fled communist rule.

The choice gives Donalds a running mate with deep roots in South Florida, more than a decade of legislative experience and military service in the Florida Army National Guard.

“Florida is the greatest state in America because we continue to choose common-sense conservative leadership over the Democrats’ failed liberal agenda,” Donalds said while announcing his selection.

He described Ávila as a conservative fighter and a “proven warrior” he wanted beside him in the battle for Florida’s future.

Who Is Bryan Ávila?

Ávila, 42, is the son of Cuban exiles and has represented communities in Miami-Dade County during his career in the Florida Legislature.

He spent eight years in the Florida House before moving to the state Senate in 2022. Ávila has also served as a captain in the Florida Army National Guard.

His political record gives Donalds an experienced Tallahassee ally who can campaign on issues important to conservative voters, including taxes, government regulation, education and the cost of living.

Ávila has also been involved in efforts to reduce property taxes, an issue likely to resonate with Florida homeowners as affordability becomes a major concern heading into the general election.

Family’s Escape From Cuba Takes Center Stage

Ávila used Tuesday’s announcement to highlight his family’s history and explain why opposition to socialism is personal for him.

His parents fled communist Cuba, leaving behind their home and business in search of greater freedom and opportunity in the United States.

Ávila said Florida provided his family with opportunities that would have been impossible under the system they left behind.

That history is expected to become an important part of the Republican campaign, particularly in South Florida, where thousands of families have firsthand or generational experience with communist and socialist governments in Latin America.

Ávila warned that he believes Democrats have become increasingly comfortable with socialist ideas.

For the Donalds campaign, that creates a clear contrast it hopes will resonate with older voters who remember the Cold War as well as Hispanic families whose relatives fled Cuba and other authoritarian governments.

Republicans Make Socialism a 2026 Campaign Issue

The debate over socialism is likely to extend far beyond the governor’s race.

Florida Republicans have seized on Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Angie Nixon’s association with the Democratic Socialists of America as evidence, in their view, that the state Democratic Party is moving further to the political left.

Democrats reject Republican attempts to broadly characterize their candidates and policies as socialist.

For Donalds and Ávila, however, the issue offers an opportunity to frame November’s election as a choice between competing visions of government.

Their message is straightforward: Florida should continue emphasizing lower taxes, limited government, public safety and economic opportunity rather than adopt policies associated with the progressive wing of the Democratic Party.

Donalds Faces Former Republican David Jolly

Donalds will face Democratic nominee David Jolly in the November general election.

Jolly previously represented Florida in Congress as a Republican but later broke with the GOP and eventually joined the Democratic Party.

Donalds has repeatedly used Jolly’s political transformation against him, arguing that the former Republican would ultimately advance the priorities of progressive Democrats if elected governor.

He has described Jolly as a political “Trojan horse” for the left.

Jolly, meanwhile, is attempting to turn Donalds’ close relationship with President Donald Trump into a major campaign issue.

Following the Ávila announcement, Jolly argued that the election would be determined less by Donalds’ running mate than by the Republican nominee’s ties to Trump.

That response offers an early indication of how the two campaigns may approach the fall election.

Donalds is expected to emphasize Florida’s conservative record and warn about progressive policies, while Jolly is likely to focus heavily on Trump and argue for a change in political direction.

Florida Affordability Could Decide the Election

Beyond partisan politics, pocketbook issues could ultimately play a decisive role.

Florida families continue to pay close attention to housing costs, homeowners insurance, property taxes and the broader cost of living.

Donalds has made affordability an important part of his campaign, and Ávila provides him with another opening to focus on property taxes.

Ávila backed a proposed constitutional change aimed at providing additional property-tax relief to Florida homeowners.

That could prove especially important with older homeowners, retirees and families living on fixed incomes who have watched the cost of maintaining a home increase.

For Republicans, the challenge will be convincing voters that continued conservative leadership can make Florida more affordable without sacrificing the economic policies that helped fuel the state’s growth.

Miami-Dade Could Be Critical in November

Ávila’s selection also puts additional attention on Miami-Dade County.

Once one of Florida’s most dependable Democratic strongholds, Miami-Dade has moved substantially toward Republicans in recent elections.

The political shift has been particularly notable among Cuban American and other Hispanic voters.

Ávila’s Hialeah roots and longstanding relationships in the region could help Donalds maintain Republican momentum in South Florida.

But the GOP cannot afford to become complacent.

Donalds has acknowledged that Democratic voters are motivated heading into the general election, making turnout crucial for both parties.

That means the battle for Miami-Dade could become one of the most closely watched parts of the statewide contest.

DeSantis Legacy Looms Over Florida Governor Race

The election will also determine what happens to the conservative agenda pursued under Gov. Ron DeSantis.

DeSantis is leaving office because of term limits, creating a rare open race for control of the governor’s mansion.

Donalds is campaigning as a candidate who would preserve and expand many of Florida’s conservative policies.

Ávila’s legislative record strengthens that argument because he has spent years working within the Republican-controlled Legislature during the DeSantis era.

The Democratic ticket offers voters a very different political path.

Jolly selected former U.S. Rep. Gwen Graham as his running mate. Graham is the daughter of the late Florida governor and U.S. senator Bob Graham and previously served in the Biden administration.

Donalds Warns About Courts and Universities

Donalds is also reminding voters that the governor’s influence extends well beyond legislation.

Florida’s next governor could make appointments affecting the state court system, universities, regulatory agencies and other powerful institutions.

Donalds has warned that Jolly could place progressives in influential positions, including appointments involving the Florida Supreme Court and university governing boards.

He argues that such decisions could gradually move Florida toward the policies found in heavily Democratic states such as New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.

Republicans are likely to make that institutional argument increasingly prominent as Election Day approaches.

For voters, the governor’s race therefore involves more than deciding who occupies the executive mansion for the next four years. It could influence Florida taxes, education, courts, regulations, public safety and economic policy for years to come.

A Clear Choice for Florida Voters

With Bryan Ávila joining Byron Donalds and Gwen Graham running alongside David Jolly, Florida voters now have two clearly defined major-party tickets.

Donalds and Ávila are positioning themselves as defenders of Florida’s conservative direction, emphasizing lower taxes, affordability, military service, opposition to socialism and continued Republican leadership.

Jolly and Graham are offering voters an alternative and arguing that Florida needs a different approach after years of Republican control.

The competing messages ensure that Florida’s 2026 governor’s race will be about much more than personalities.

It will be a referendum on the direction of one of America’s fastest-growing and most politically influential states — and on whether voters want Florida to stay on its current conservative course or chart a different path.