Donalds chooses state Sen. Bryan Avila as his running mate for Florida governor

Republican gubernatorial candidate Byron Donalds named Miami-Dade County Sen. Bryan Avila to serve as his running mate Tuesday.

The son of Cuban exiles, Avila, of Miami Springs, has served in the Florida Legislature since 2014, when he was first elected to the House of Representatives. He won a seat in the Senate while running unopposed in 2022 and was re-elected in 2024.

His selection could help Donalds in several areas. As a captain in the Florida Army National Guard, he could help shore up support in the pro-military parts of northern Florida that chose Jay Collins over Donalds in last week’s primary.

Avila, 42, sponsored the legislation to regulate data centers, an issue upon which Democratic gubernatorial candidate David Jolly has attacked Donalds for receiving millions in campaign contributions from data center developers.

Avila sponsored the legislative measure that placed the constitutional amendment on property tax cuts on November’s ballot.

Donalds praised Avila for other pieces of legislation he’s passed during his tenure in the Legislature during Tuesday’s news conference at the Freedom Tower in Miami.

“He’s sponsored and co-sponsored the ‘Stop Woke Act.’ Defending merit. Individual liberty and taking down divisive DEI agendas,” he said. “He has relentlessly fought excessive property taxes. He has delivered total relief. He has cut everyday costs and he has protected families from high utility bills from data centers.”

Avila talked about his parents leaving Cuba for the United States, and specifically, Florida.

“So, when I hear Democrats casually embracing socialism, I know where that road leads,” he said. “Our families have lived it. I can assure you this, with Byron Donalds as governor and me as your lieutenant governor, socialism will never find a home in the great state of Florida.”

For years, Republicans in South Florida have found electoral success by telling voters with ties to Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua that Democratic candidates are “socialists.” The Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate this year is Angie Nixon, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America.

Jolly firmly stated following Nixon’s victory last week that he is a capitalist and rejects any ties to the Democratic Socialist movement.

Diversity

The GOP gubernatorial ticket is now more racially diverse than the Democrats’ — Avila is Cuban-American and Donalds is attempting to become the first Black person to win statewide office; Jolly and his running mate, former U.S. Rep. Gwen Graham, are white.

“They’ve now joined forces to create the most boring and uninspiring ticket Florida Democrats could have ever put together,” Donalds quipped during Tuesday’s press conference.

“I congratulate former State Sen. Bryan Avila on his selection as the Republican Lieutenant Governor nominee,” Jolly said in a written statement. “I wish him well. But, let’s be honest: this race won’t come down to Bryon Donalds’ relationship with Avila, it will come down to Byron’s relationship with Donald Trump.”

Donalds and Avila were scheduled to make appearances later Tuesday in Sanford and St. Petersburg.