Jacob Ogles
Could state Rep. Byron Donalds become the new chair of the Republican Party of Florida?
Donalds confirms to Florida Politics he holds some interest in the job: “It’s something that’s come up,” he says. “I’m considering my options.”
Multiple sources within the state committee confirm conversations with the Naples lawmaker about the post and suggest Donalds may boast the blessing of Gov.-elect Ron DeSantis.
But in order to even be a serious contender, party leaders say he will first need to prove himself with the grassroots. He could do that Monday by winning the Collier County Republican Executive Committee chairmanship.
Donalds already announced plans to seek the leadership post, he said.
Collier County GOP chairman Ron Kezeske previously announced he would not seek a new term. But that doesn’t mean there’s a clear path through Naples to the state party post.
Already, Russell Tuff, a longtime activist and former county commission candidate in Collier County, announced his intentions to seek the chairmanship, and Donalds may be late to that local race.
“That is going to be a challenge he has to overcome,” Kezeske said.
But Donalds is eligible to run. He still holds a party position as a precinct captain after winning re-election to without opposition.
And of course, he’s got political chops after winning election to the Florida House in 2016 and again in 2018.
In November, he handily beat Democrat Jennifer Boddicker by 26 percent to keep his state House seat in Florida House District 80.
Maybe more importantly, especially if he’s looking for a party post, he won a Republican primary in 2016 against attorney Joe Davidow by 28 percent.
In Tallahassee, even Kezeske admits Donalds has been a good conservative voice. “The only contention I could see is if he could manage his job as a legislator and as a chairman,” said the outgoing chair.
Other voices in the party also suggested lawmakers serving as state chairs face their own obstacles, notably when it comes to fundraising for themselves, for the county party, the state party and potentially for political committees helping their own candidacy and those of political allies statewide.
And sometimes, candidates running for a popular vote in a region don’t naturally move into the type of campaign necessary in seeking a party post.
Christian Ziegler, Sarasota County GOP state committeeman and a potential contender for the state chairmanship himself, challenged sitting chairman Blaise Ingoglia last year. It’s a different game rallying the limited number of state committee members around your candidacy.
He knows Donalds well — his wife Bridget Ziegler and Donalds’ wife Erika Donalds were founding members of the Florida Coalition of School Board Members — but he said without knowing everyone who will run for state chair, it’s hard to handicap the contest.
But one voice that could make a huge difference in any outcome will be DeSantis.
The incoming governor named Donalds to his Inaugural Host Committee today, and whenever the Republican gubernatorial hopeful campaigned in Southwest Florida this year, the Naples lawmaker often wasn’t far away.
Donald sat beside DeSantis and state Rep. Heather Fitzenhagen during a visit with Florida Gulf Coast University leadership in September.
And not long after, he was at an event in Cape Coral, one where Lee County Republican chair Jonathan Martin and U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz both made remarks later criticized by Democrats as insensitive.
But then, that also highlights an area where Donalds as chairman could help the new governor with a major optics issue. In addition to being a reliable and proven political ally for DeSantis, Donalds could also be the Republican Party of Florida’s first black chairman.
Donalds doesn’t shy away from the historic nature of his potential chairmanship.
“If you look at the future,” he said, “we need to do everything we can to make sure all voters realize there’s a home for them in the Republican Party. That’s one of the reasons I became a representative.”
He knows holding a leadership role within the GOP will broadcast a different image, but not one at odds with the party platform. “The Republican Party always stood for opportunity for all people,” he said.
Ever since DeSantis after winning the Republican primary said Florida voters would “monkey this up” if they elected Democratic opponent Andrew Gillum, he’s faced criticism for racial insensitivity. It’s a problem The New York Times reports remains a concern to DeSantis as he seeks to unify the state after a historically close gubernatorial election.
Historically, governors boast a lot of influence when it comes to thumbing the scales as the party considers its leaders.
Then again, Ingoglia serves as evidence Florida’s governor won’t always get their way. He beat out Gov. Rick Scott’s choice, Leslie Dougher, in a fight that created a yearslong rift between Scott and the party.
And considering there’s a number of people who angled for the chairmanship for years, there’s no guarantee even an endorsement from DeSantis would clear the deck for Donalds.
If Donalds fails to win the Collier County chairmanship, DeSantis could still give him one of 10 state executive committee positions filled at the governor’s discretion.
But no one in one of those spots has ever won the state chairmanship. In recent years, perhaps thanks to the Scott-Ingoglia imbroglio, there’s been antipathy between those committee members and the ones elected through the support of local party members.
Incidentally, Leon County GOP chair Evan Power, still a strong contender for the chairmanship, on Tuesday said he would wait to see if Ingoglia seeks re-election before he makes any decisions himself.
