The two leading Republican candidates for Florida governor and U.S. Senate hit the campaign trail together for the first time in Central Florida on Friday. “We’re going to lead the charge and we’re going to keep Florida red this November,” Byron Donalds told supporters gathered at a Beth’s Burger Bar in Orlando. They’re not running as a ticket, but this election season, Donalds and Sen. Ashley Moody are joining forces. “This is event number one,” Donalds said, “but we’re not going to stop. We’re not going to rest. Florida is the best. We’re going to remain free.” Both Donalds and Moody have the endorsements and support of President Donald Trump. “You’ve got to get out,” Moody said. “You’ve got to get your neighbors energized and if you don’t know what party they’re in, it doesn’t matter, go talk to them.” The front-runner Republican candidates are campaigning to keep Florida a “law and order” state. “We are both committed to making sure that law enforcement in the state of Florida has the tools, the resources, yes,” Moody said, “but most importantly, the support of not just leadership, but the communities that they serve.” The Florida Police Chiefs Association on Friday afternoon announced endorsements for Donald’s bid for governor and Moody’s run to remain in the U.S. Senate. “They have shown they are committed to supporting law enforcement and the safety of our communities,” said Jennifer “Cookie” Pritt, the executive director of the FPCA. “So, we are committed to them.” This November, Floridians will also vote on a major homestead property tax cut on the ballot. WESH 2 asked Donalds if that passes, what would it mean for funding local law enforcement. “It’s got a long road to get to 60%,” Donalds said, “but if it does pass, as we go through the legislative language early next year, we are going to make sure that law enforcement has all the resources available to them.” WESH 2 also asked Donalds if he would be willing to remove elected prosecutors from office, like the current governor has.”1,000%,” Donalds replied. “The state attorneys, when they run for office, they run to uphold the law. Gov. DeSantis has been 100% correct on this issue.” Donalds also responded to the allegations in a newly filed civil lawsuit that he threatened and intimidated Collier County School Board member Kelly Mason during a 2022 grocery store confrontation. “It’s baseless,” he said. “It’s frivolous. It’s foolishness. The person in question has sued me multiple times, quite frankly, during election season. We’ve won every single time. We’re going to win this one as well and, like, I’ve been pointing out to folks, the attorney on this lawsuit is also the attorney for one of my political opponents.” Lake County Commissioner Anthony Sabatini is the attorney representing Mason. He told WESH 2 by phone that the video of the confrontation and the complaint speak for themselves. Sabatini called the altercation “despicable” and said anyone in Mason’s shoes “would have felt assaulted.” >>Video below: Byron Donalds respond to allegations in lawsuitSabatini also represents businessman James Fishback, who is running the GOP primary for governor, along with Lt. Gov. Jay Collins and Former House Speaker Paul Renner. Donalds is leading in the polls and his campaign has more cash on hand than his Republican opponents. The state’s former attorney general, Moody, was appointed to the Senate after President Trump selected Marco Rubio to serve as Secretary of State. “This day and age after what we’re hearing coming out of the Democrats’ mouth right now, they are the ‘burn it down’ party,” Moody told the crowd at Beth’s Burger Bar. In the Democratic primary, retired Lt. Col. Alex Vindman and State Rep. Angie Nixon from Jacksonville are trying to flip the Senate seat blue. “Do you want a fighter in your corner, or do you want a corrupt career politician that’s going to be the same old, same old, taking the state and the country in the wrong direction?” Vindman told WESH 2. “I believe that the government should work for people and not against them,” Nixon said on Friday, “and currently right now we have politicians like Ashley Moody in Washington, D.C., who are only looking out for special interests, looking out for their own pocketbooks.” Neither the leading Democratic candidate for governor, David Jolly, nor the chair of the Florida Democratic Party, Nikki Fried, were available for interviews on Friday. WESH 2 plans to speak with Jolly and Fried next week. Florida’s primary election day is less than six weeks away, on Aug. 18.

ORLANDO, Fla. —

The two leading Republican candidates for Florida governor and U.S. Senate hit the campaign trail together for the first time in Central Florida on Friday.

“We’re going to lead the charge and we’re going to keep Florida red this November,” Byron Donalds told supporters gathered at a Beth’s Burger Bar in Orlando.

They’re not running as a ticket, but this election season, Donalds and Sen. Ashley Moody are joining forces.

“This is event number one,” Donalds said, “but we’re not going to stop. We’re not going to rest. Florida is the best. We’re going to remain free.”

Both Donalds and Moody have the endorsements and support of President Donald Trump.

“You’ve got to get out,” Moody said. “You’ve got to get your neighbors energized and if you don’t know what party they’re in, it doesn’t matter, go talk to them.”

The front-runner Republican candidates are campaigning to keep Florida a “law and order” state.

“We are both committed to making sure that law enforcement in the state of Florida has the tools, the resources, yes,” Moody said, “but most importantly, the support of not just leadership, but the communities that they serve.”

The Florida Police Chiefs Association on Friday afternoon announced endorsements for Donald’s bid for governor and Moody’s run to remain in the U.S. Senate.

“They have shown they are committed to supporting law enforcement and the safety of our communities,” said Jennifer “Cookie” Pritt, the executive director of the FPCA. “So, we are committed to them.”

This November, Floridians will also vote on a major homestead property tax cut on the ballot.

WESH 2 asked Donalds if that passes, what would it mean for funding local law enforcement.

“It’s got a long road to get to 60%,” Donalds said, “but if it does pass, as we go through the legislative language early next year, we are going to make sure that law enforcement has all the resources available to them.”

WESH 2 also asked Donalds if he would be willing to remove elected prosecutors from office, like the current governor has.

“1,000%,” Donalds replied. “The state attorneys, when they run for office, they run to uphold the law. Gov. DeSantis has been 100% correct on this issue.”

Donalds also responded to the allegations in a newly filed civil lawsuit that he threatened and intimidated Collier County School Board member Kelly Mason during a 2022 grocery store confrontation.

“It’s baseless,” he said. “It’s frivolous. It’s foolishness. The person in question has sued me multiple times, quite frankly, during election season. We’ve won every single time. We’re going to win this one as well and, like, I’ve been pointing out to folks, the attorney on this lawsuit is also the attorney for one of my political opponents.”

Lake County Commissioner Anthony Sabatini is the attorney representing Mason. He told WESH 2 by phone that the video of the confrontation and the complaint speak for themselves.

Sabatini called the altercation “despicable” and said anyone in Mason’s shoes “would have felt assaulted.”

>>Video below: Byron Donalds respond to allegations in lawsuit

Sabatini also represents businessman James Fishback, who is running the GOP primary for governor, along with Lt. Gov. Jay Collins and Former House Speaker Paul Renner.

Donalds is leading in the polls and his campaign has more cash on hand than his Republican opponents.

The state’s former attorney general, Moody, was appointed to the Senate after President Trump selected Marco Rubio to serve as Secretary of State.

“This day and age after what we’re hearing coming out of the Democrats’ mouth right now, they are the ‘burn it down’ party,” Moody told the crowd at Beth’s Burger Bar.

In the Democratic primary, retired Lt. Col. Alex Vindman and State Rep. Angie Nixon from Jacksonville are trying to flip the Senate seat blue.

“Do you want a fighter in your corner, or do you want a corrupt career politician that’s going to be the same old, same old, taking the state and the country in the wrong direction?” Vindman told WESH 2.

“I believe that the government should work for people and not against them,” Nixon said on Friday, “and currently right now we have politicians like Ashley Moody in Washington, D.C., who are only looking out for special interests, looking out for their own pocketbooks.”

Neither the leading Democratic candidate for governor, David Jolly, nor the chair of the Florida Democratic Party, Nikki Fried, were available for interviews on Friday.

WESH 2 plans to speak with Jolly and Fried next week.

Florida’s primary election day is less than six weeks away, on Aug. 18.