Donalds, a rising star in the party who was once a contender for House speaker, is on the cusp of taking the big jump in his political career as a front-running contender to govern Trump’s adopted home state.

In Congress, he’s been part of the ultraconservative Tea Party caucus. Highly thought of by Republican colleagues, he won a few votes in early 2023 to become speaker of the Florida House. Following Trump’s lead, Donalds in January introduced a bill to end taxes on tips.

Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) was coy while discussing his potential Florida gubernatorial bid during a Friday interview while also expressing gratitude for landing an early endorsement from