![\"Florida](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/MIA_2026-08-25AD2246ByronDonaldsannouncement_1.JPG\" "\\"Florida")
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Florida State Senator Bryan \u00c1vila speaks after U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds, at left, selected Avila as his running mate in Donald\u2019s campaign for governor at the Freedom Tower in downtown Miami, Florida, on Monday, August 24, 2026.<\/p>\n
PHOTO BY AL DIAZ<\/p>\n
adiaz@miamiherald.com<\/p>\n
Longtime state lawmaker and Hialeah native Bryan \u00c1vila is joining Byron Donalds on the campaign trail as Republicans\u2019 lieutenant governor candidate.<\/p>\n
Working with DeSantis<\/p>\n
The Florida National Guardsman has been in the state Legislature since 2014 representing parts of Hialeah and Miami-Dade County \u2014 overlapping with Donalds for four years in the state House and joining the state senate four years ago.<\/p>\n
\u00c1vila, 42, played a key role implementing parts of Gov. Ron DeSantis\u2019 agenda in Tallahassee throughout his tenure in the Legislature. The selection of \u00c1vila as Donalds\u2019 running mate comes after DeSantis has done little to help Donalds\u2019 candidacy to succeed him.<\/p>\n
DeSantis didn\u2019t endorse any candidate during the Republican primary cycle and has publicly criticized Donalds in the past, saying he \u201cjust hasn\u2019t been a part of any of the victories that we\u2019ve had here.\u201d After \u00c1vila\u2019s announcement as Donalds\u2019 running mate, DeSantis wrote on social media that \u201cSenator Avila is a good dude. I\u2019ve always appreciated his service in the National Guard.\u201d<\/p>\n
Capitol Policy<\/p>\n
\u00c1vila sponsored Florida\u2019s Stop WOKE Act, a law aimed to restrict how Florida teachers discussed race and gender in classrooms, introduced as DeSantis aggressively targeted classroom instruction ahead of his presidential run. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit recently upheld a lower court ruling that struck that partially law down<\/a> as unconstitutional.<\/p>\n More recently, \u00c1vila sponsored the legislation to put a constitutional amendment cutting property taxes on the ballot in November. DeSantis initially spearheaded the initiative, but backed off full-throated support after the Legislature removed the part of his initial proposal reducing taxes paid to school districts and rejected DeSantis\u2019 plan for a state trust fund that some Republicans said would put local governments\u2019 funding at the mercy of the state\u2019s whims.<\/p>\n \u00c1vila also led recent legislation that could help Donalds combat the narrative his Republican opponents used against him throughout the primary cycle: that he\u2019s too permissive of data centers coming into Florida.<\/p>\n \u00c1vila sponsored a bill this year increasing local governments\u2019 power over data centers, and requiring them to pay certain tariffs, DeSantis supported the law, but it flew against Donald Trump\u2019s desire for the regulation of data centers and AI to be handled at the federal level.<\/p>\n \u00c1vila, though, could come under attack for another data-center bill he sponsored<\/a> that failed to pass this year that would have given data centers a special public records exemption and kept certain planning documents confidential.<\/p>\n READ MORE: Donalds names Hialeah\u2019s Bryan Avila as his running mate in campaign for governor<\/a><\/p>\n Local disputes<\/p>\n Locally, \u00c1vila has been a longtime critic<\/a> of Miami-Dade County\u2019s government, supporting legislation that stripped county control of the toll board overseeing local expressways and rewriting the rules on how the County Commission can approve contracts at Miami International Airport.<\/p>\n Personal life<\/p>\n \u00c1vila\u2019s parents fled Cuba, landing in Hialeah, and he\u2019s pointed to that personal background as part of his impetus to co-sponsor legislation requiring Florida public schools to teach about \u201cthe increasing threat of communism in the United States.\u201d<\/p>\n The captain in the Florida National Guard has two young kids and has attended Miami Dade College, University of Miami and Florida International University over the years. In a statement announcing his selection Tuesday, Donalds touted \u00c1vila\u2019s personal life as part of his appeal.<\/p>\n \u201cBryan Avila is a proven conservative, a dedicated public servant, a military officer, and most importantly, a husband and father who understands exactly what is at stake for Florida families,\u201d Donalds said.<\/p>\n Miami Herald staff writers Churchill Ndonwie and Doug Hanks contributed to this report.<\/p>\n