Rep. Byron Donalds has emerged as the early frontrunner in Florida’s August 18, 2026 Republican gubernatorial primary, buoyed by a coveted endorsement from former President Donald Trump. A StPetePolls survey of 831 likely GOP voters conducted July 8-10 shows Donalds with 35 percent support, eight points ahead of Florida First Lady Casey DeSantis. Agricultural Commissioner Wilton Simpson and former state House Speaker Paul Renner trail in single digits. The poll carries a margin of error of ±3.4 percentage points. Donalds’s advantage widens when DeSantis is replaced by Lt. Gov. Jay Collins in the hypothetical field; support for the Trump-backed congressman jumps to 44 percent while Collins draws just 2 percent. A separate University of Florida poll of 797 registered Republicans conducted July 14-22 puts Donalds 15 points ahead of DeSantis among voters who cast ballots in the 2024 GOP primary. Trump’s endorsement remains a powerful force in the party. Back-to-back James Madison University surveys this spring found more than 60 percent of Republicans saying they would be more likely to support a candidate backed by the former president. After respondents learned of Trump’s support for Donalds, his backing in those polls rose to 44 percent, compared with 25 percent for DeSantis. Donalds also enters the race with a sizable war chest, having raised at least $22 million by early July, according to Axios. With the primary still a year away, the congressman’s initial polling and fundraising edge underscore the continuing influence of Trump’s endorsements on Republican contests.