Twelve candidates are running in the Republican primary for governor of Florida on August 18, 2026. Jay Collins (R), Byron Donalds (R), James Fishback (R), and Paul Renner (R) lead in local media attention. Incumbent Ron DeSantis (R) is term-limited.
Leading up to the elections, the Republican Party of Florida announced that it would not hold a debate, saying that Donalds was the only candidate to meet their polling and fundraising qualifications. Donalds, who leads in polling, endorsements, and campaign fundraising, has said he will not debate any of the other primary candidates. In response, the other candidates and DeSantis criticized the state party and Donalds.
DeSantis, who as of July 2026 has not endorsed a successor, said: "Having an open process and having people be able to have their say is always better than trying to engineer an outcome. What the party should be doing is what’s in the best interest of Republican voters.”
