Florida Voters Decide Governor Successor to Ron DeSantis

Polls closed at 7 p.m. local time in Florida on Tuesday, marking the end of voting in the state's gubernatorial race. The contest determines the next chief executive for a state with major policy control over economics, property insurance, healthcare, education, and housing.

Republican U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds faces Democrat David Jolly in the primary matchup. Libertarian candidate Scott Jewett and six candidates with no party affiliation also appear on the ballot.

The seat opens because incumbent Governor Ron DeSantis is term-limited and cannot run again. DeSantis originally won the position in 2018 in a close race against Andrew Gillum, securing victory by a margin of just over 33,000 votes.

He expanded that lead in 2022, defeating Charlie Crist by approximately 1.5 million votes. That result represented a margin of nearly 20 percentage points.

Voters in the western Panhandle had until 8 p.m. Eastern Time to cast their ballots. Local media outlets, including WUFT-FM, began broadcasting live updates and analysis from NPR News at 8 p.m. ET.

The winner will assume authority over state fiscal and regulatory frameworks immediately following certification of results.