That leaves Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson, a Trilby Republican, as the last Florida Cabinet official still with potential to get in the governor’s race. He is a former Senate President who received Trump’s endorsement for his Agriculture Commissioner campaign in 2022.

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.