Gaetz and Donalds are two of the most prominent Republicans expected to run to succeed Gov. Ron DeSantis in 2026, a distant contest that is already generating political strife at the state and national level. They have positioned themselves differently in Congress: both as hard-line conservatives, but with Gaetz as a rebel hawk and Donalds as a more conventional hard-liner, a dynamic that helped shape the shutdown fight.
Gaetz emerged Tuesday, after successfully ousting McCarthy from the presidency, as one of the nation’s most influential Republicans — the leader of the House’s first successful coup. And as he eyes the Florida governorship, his shadow feud could quickly turn the Washington dynamic into fodder for a Tallahassee campaign war.
“We’re breaking the fever,” Gaetz declared outside the U.S. Capitol shortly after Tuesday’s vote.
His move, however, was met with immediate backlash from some Florida Republicans, including Republican Rep. John Rutherfordwhich attacked Gaetz for “driving our nation to the brink of another government shutdown, all for clicks and cash and a boost to his national profile.”
Donalds, in a brief interview this week at the Capitol, described himself as “tactically different” from Gaetz and denied that their differences are really about the governor’s race, saying that 2026 is a long way off and that “each these years he’s like a dog.” years.”
He also confirmed that he is interested in running for governor, whether Gaetz runs or not.
But congressional rivals are just one group vying for the Florida governor’s mansion. Gaetz and Donalds, who supported former President Donald Trump, may face competition from at least two DeSantis allies, Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nunez and Ashley Moody, Florida’s attorney general.
Nuñez, who is Florida’s highest-ranking Latina and was DeSantis’ running mate in 2018 and 2022, endorsed the governor for president in May. And DeSantis returned the favor, saying Nunez would continue in the governor’s office if he wins the presidency and takes office in 2025.
Rounding out the potential candidates is the MP. Mike Waltz (R-Fla.) and Jimmy Patronis, the Florida GOP’s finance director.
That there is so much early interest in the race speaks to Florida’s outsized role in national politics, where local contests can have national implications, including sending the government into a shutdown. Beyond congressional conflicts, leading the nation’s third-most populous state gives governors a huge platform for their political and policy goals: DeSantis built his national reputation by governing during the pandemic and reshaping schools, the agenda of health and the economy of the state, helping them to change. Reddest Florida. And while no Florida governor has been elected president, called the “curse of Florida man”— six have tried in the last 50 years.
Some of the twists and turns in the race can be traced back to Gaetz. Trump’s pugilist ally was the center of attention in January during McCarthy’s House speaker battle, prompting speculation that he was trying to raise their profile of a possible candidacy for governor.
That has only increased in recent weeks as Gaetz led the House’s conservative revolt against McCarthy and called for a government shutdown. House Republicans see Gaetz’s recent moves in part as an attempt to boost his political standing at home.
But Gaetz dismissed the hype surrounding his possible run for governor in 2026, saying in a brief interview earlier this week that he has “no plans to run for governor,” though he admitted that thought that “Tallahassee is much more charming than Washington.”
During a live chat in August, Gaetz didn’t back down when Donald Trump Jr. and his girlfriend, Kimberly Guilfoyle, said they would both support him for governor.
“I would definitely enjoy this job a lot,” Gaetz replied. “I would never quit if I ever had that chance.”
And Gaetz has spent more time in Florida, said a former GOP operative, who spoke on condition of anonymity to protect his working relationships.
“He appears at more Florida events than we’ve seen him in the last six years: football games, [Florida] Capitol: We haven’t seen him in years, and all of a sudden he’s back,” the person said.
Donald Trump also added to the interest when asked about Gaetz’s potential bid during an interview with the conservative National Pulse, praising the lawmaker as a “great guy, a wonderful person.” The Biden campaign quickly seized on the comment and posted it in social networks. True to form, Gaetz responded to the Biden campaign’s post on X, saying, “Stop it… you guys make me blush.”
Although he ultimately supported the shutdown, Donalds broke with Gaetz during the funding fight in September, when Donalds pushed for a short-term spending patch that would have reduced most non-defense spending and , above all, did not include aid for Ukraine. Donalds also rejected the attempt to oust McCarthy, saying it is the wrong time and that Republicans must stand together to secure the border and reduce spending.
While the congressional maneuvering has exposed the split between the candidates, so has their loyalty to Trump and DeSantis. All Republicans in Congress endorsed Trump for president while Moody and Nunez are tied closely with DeSantis. Patronis, who was first appointed to his position by former Florida Gov. Rick Scotthas not yet endorsed the presidential race.
The Trump campaign did not respond to questions about how it felt about the Florida governor’s race. But his influence in Florida goes back years to DeSantis’ 2018 gubernatorial run, when Trump’s endorsement provided a crucial push toward DeSantis’ victory in the primary.
“The last time it mattered, it really mattered,” the deputy said. Carlos Gimenez (R-Fla.), referring to Trump’s endorsement of DeSantis. He predicted a Trump victory in 2024 would have a big influence on the Florida race and said his endorsement would still give any candidate a significant boost even if he loses.
But the same goes for DeSantis. Brett Doster, a Tallahassee-based Republican consultant who worked on former Gov. Jeb Bush’s gubernatorial run and as a senior adviser in Florida for Mitt Romney2012 presidential campaign, he said DeSantis would still be in a powerful position as governor if he returns home after the 2024 campaign.
“He’s going to have an inordinate amount of interest in his legacy,” Doster predicted.
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