With each passing day, U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds becomes increasingly the sole front-runner for Governor next year.
He has support from the ultimate supporter: President Donald Trump.
He has the most cash … by a lot.
He’s leading. In. Every. Single. Poll.
And one of the people thought to have potentially been able to give him a run for his money, current Lt. Gov. Jay Collins, is dragging his feet on an announcement and faltering in his gubernatorial aspirations, even as speculation swirls that he could be current Gov. Ron DeSantis’ preferred successor.
With support seeming to coalesce around Donalds for the GOP nomination — which would immediately place him as the front-runner in the General Election, too — the parlor games in Tallahassee have shifted from whom to support for Governor to how to be considered by Donalds to serve as his No. 2.
With Session coming up just after the holidays, several lawmakers are already angling for LG.
Like presidential candidates weighing vice presidential prospects against various optics, Donalds will no doubt be considering how best to balance his ticket and capture constituencies that may be hesitant to back the Republican in an eventual General Election. That means it’s likely he’ll be keen to pick a woman, and probably one who is either White or Hispanic, in an illustration of the new GOP.
For purposes of this decision, geography matters not.
And it’s no wonder the jockeying has already begun. Look no further than Jeanette Nuñez, DeSantis’ former LG who served alongside him until earlier this year when she was tapped in February to lead Florida International University, an interim President post that was made permanent in June.
That serves as hard proof that, even if it is otherwise a figurehead post, being Lieutenant Governor comes with some possible perks, and can be a stepping stone to future job prospects.
So who might be an early contender for Donalds’ pick?
“MAGA Meg” Weinberger, who just happens to be hosting a major fundraiser tonight at Mar-a-Lago, is among those at the top of the short list Donalds should consider (Donalds’ campaign is not all measuring the curtains, yet, of the Governor’s Mansion, so it actually doesn’t have a short list). Donalds is listed as an honorary guest, and her host committee is a who’s who of Florida’s GOP donor class, highlighting the additional fundraising might she could add to a Donalds ticket.
Weinberger, a freshman state Representative, checks a lot of boxes. She’s from Trump’s home county and has excelled at attracting support from the President and his base. She is the District Lead for the Palm Beach chapter of Moms for Liberty, which aligns with the Donalds’ educational inclinations.
Her passion for animal welfare — evidenced by her nonprofit, Rescue Life, which cares for all types of furry and feathered friends — should resonate broadly with voters.
She’s also a deft fundraiser and policymaker. Last cycle, she stacked nearly $850,000 in her inaugural House run. And in her first term as a lawmaker, she passed several laws both valence and red-meat, including measures improving services for foster care children, steepening penalties for animal cruelty and recognizing the “Gulf of America.”
Other possible contenders include U.S. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, who serves alongside Donalds as part of Florida’s congressional delegation and shares a similar MAGA brand of politics, and state Rep. Fiona McFarland, a powerhouse in her own right.