Republican and Democratic candidates for Governor, Byron Donalds and Jerry Demings, will be in Northwest Florida with stops this weekend and next.
Donalds, a Florida Congressman since 2020, is the Republican frontrunner among dozens of other candidates, which include Lt. Governor Jay Collins and former House Speaker Paul Renner. He’s raised over $68 million and has the endorsement of President Donald Trump.
Donalds was born in Brooklyn and raised by a single mother. He graduated from Florida State University in 2002, according to his congressional website. He was working as a financial adviser when he was appointed to the board of trustees at a state college by then-Gov. Rick Scott, before he entered politics.
The top issues outlined on Donalds’ campaign website include fighting illegal immigration, making Florida more affordable, improving infrastructure, and preserving the environment. At the top of the list is his promise to “enact the Trump agenda.” His campaign stop will be at 10 a.m. Saturday, April 18, at The Fish House, 600 S. Barracks St.
Next week, Democratic candidate and Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings will make campaign stops in Pensacola and Crestview on Saturday, April 25. At 10 a.m., he’ll be at Bethel A.M.E. Church, 511 Woodland Dr. in Pensacola, and at 1:30 p.m., he’ll be at Carver Hill High School, 461 School Ave. in Crestview.
Demings grew up in Orlando and worked in law enforcement. He was the Orlando Police Chief and was later elected to Orange County Sheriff. He was elected to Orange County Mayor in 2018 and reelected in 2022.
According to his campaign website, his top priorities are making Florida affordable through insurance reform and Medicaid expansion, lowering energy costs, protecting the environment and water, and making Florida the “most military-friendly state in America.”