Mike Johnson backs ‘principled conservative leader’ Byron Donalds for Governor

Mike Johnson, Byron Donalds.

House Speaker Mike Johnson is endorsing U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds’ gubernatorial bid.

The Louisiana Republican backed the colleague he beat for his leadership post as Donalds seeks to become Florida’s next Governor.

“Byron Donalds is a principled conservative leader who Floridians can trust as their next governor,” Johnson said in a statement first provided to POLITICO Playbook. “In Congress, Byron has been tenacious in standing up for Florida and President Trump’s America First agenda. I have no doubt he will bring that same fighting spirit with him as Governor.”

That’s notable as Donalds, during a leadership shake-up in the House in 2023, came in second behind Johnson in the GOP Caucus vote that finally determined a successor for ousted Speaker Kevin McCarthy. That ended weeks of drama when several others won caucus votes but didn’t have enough support to secure election on the floor, with Democrats supporting their own Leader.

The whole episode helped thrust both Johnson and Donalds into a national spotlight.

Of note, Donalds has repeatedly had at least a few internal conflicts with Johnson since then, including a dustup at a Miami retreat where Donalds raised concerns of the House Freedom Caucus about leadership decisions directly to the Speaker, as reported in February by Newsweek.

But Donalds announced earlier this year that he will run for Governor in 2026 instead of seeking re-election to the House. The Naples Republican already has the endorsement of President Donald Trump. He also has the support of colleagues in Florida’s congressional delegation, including U.S. Reps. Kat Cammack and Cory Mills, who both attended the launch for Donalds’ statewide campaign in Bonita Springs.

But Johnson, as one of the most powerful political leaders in Washington, could open access to a national network of donors for Donalds.

The move also has the potential of putting the U.S. House Speaker at odds with Gov. Ron DeSantis, as First Lady Casey DeSantis mulls her own bid for the Republican nomination for Governor. But Johnson notably endorsed Trump over DeSantis for the Republican presidential nomination shortly after securing the Speaker’s gavel, and DeSantis has heavily criticized GOP leadership in the U.S. House under Johnson.