MIAMI

Republican Rep. Byron Donalds, the GOP nominee for Florida governor, is actively pursuing Black voters across the Miami area, aiming for more than 20 percent of that vote bloc—a goal that would outpace other prominent Republicans in the state.

President Trump secured around 15 percent of the Black vote in Florida in 2024, while Gov. Ron DeSantis received approximately 13 percent in his 2022 reelection exit polls. Donalds is one of three Republican nominees this year who could become the first Black Republican governor ever elected in the United States.

This weekend, Donalds appeared at the Black Professionals Summit's Legacy Con and a community cookout in Overtown. He also conducted door-knocking in North Miami and Broward County, with separate outreach to Hispanic voters in Doral and Hialeah.

The strategy echoes the "Congress, Cigars Cognac" tour Donalds co-headlined with Rep. Wesley Hunt of Texas in 2024, when he served as a Trump surrogate to Black voters nationally. Now he is deploying that same playbook as the principal candidate.

At the Legacy Con on Saturday, Donalds told the crowd: "I don't talk about my race in this campaign." He said voters in Florida care primarily about a candidate's ability to "get the job done."

When asked about the historical significance of a potential win—he would join only three Black governors ever elected in U.S. history—Donalds said, "It's wild, honestly." The comment stood out from a candidate who has largely avoided identity-based appeals throughout his campaign.

Democratic nominee David Jolly was invited to address the Legacy Con but did not attend, citing a scheduling conflict.

Jermaine Woodside, 54, met Donalds at Lorna's Caribbean Restaurant, a Black-owned establishment in Miami Gardens. Woodside said he arrived skeptical but left more open to the congressman after their interaction.

Donalds pushed back on criticism that his minority outreach was new or limited, asserting his campaign targets every voter. His "Defending the Florida Dream" tour has included stops in historically Black neighborhoods.

The Florida governor's race is considered remarkably close by recent polling, with the general election less than a month away.