FL Governor Election Results 2026: Donalds Vs. Jolly [Live Updates]

With polls closed on Election Day across most of Florida, all eyes are on Florida’s gubernatorial race, which pits the Donald Trump-endorsed GOP candidate Byron Donalds against Democrat David Jolly. The tight contest has been closely watched both at home and around the nation.

It’s been more than 25 years since a Democratic governor led Florida, the last being Kenneth Hood-Mackay in 1999.

But the race between Jolly and Donalds has tightened as Election Day approached, and in the most recent polls, the Democrat ranged from 4 to 6 percentage points behind the Republican candidate, Newsweek said.

Donalds is a Republican U.S. representative from Southwest Florida. Born in Brooklyn, New York, he moved to Florida as a teenager and earned a bachelor's degree in finance and marketing from Florida State University. Before entering politics, he worked in the banking, finance and insurance industries.

He served two terms in the Florida House of Representatives from 2016 to 2020 before being elected to Congress in 2020. A prominent conservative and ally of President Trump, Donalds has served on the House Financial Services and Oversight and Accountability committees.

He lives in Naples with his wife, Erika, and their three sons.

Jolly is a former U.S. representative, attorney and fifth-generation Floridian living in Pinellas County with his wife and children. He represented Florida's 13th Congressional District from 2014 to 2017 after winning a special election to succeed longtime Republican Congressman Bill Young.

Originally elected as a Republican, Jolly later left the party, spent seven years as an independent and ultimately joined the Democratic Party in 2025.

He also worked as a political analyst for NBC and MSNBC. Jolly is a graduate of Emory University and George Mason University School of Law.

Find the latest vote tally updates below:

(Note: Because the state has two time zones, preliminary election night results won’t be released until 8 p.m. EST. Be sure to check back here and refresh this page for the latest as results begin to flow in.)

Governor and Lieutenant Governor

Check back here with Patch for local results as they’re reported throughout the night.

Most Florida polling places were open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. EST on Election Day, while some counties in the Panhandle are open until 8 p.m. EST because they're in the Central Time Zone. Expect results to start being released at 8 p.m.