An ever-growing pack of potential candidates looking to replace Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) as he wraps up his final term in office promises to bring Floridians a riveting campaign season in the coming months. 

So far, Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) is the only contender to announce a gubernatorial campaign in the Sunshine State ahead of the 2026 election. But although he’s already clinched a coveted endorsement from President Donald Trump, multiple other rumored candidates — from DeSantis’s wife to former GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz — could prove to throw a wrench in Donalds’s gubernatorial ambitions. 

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As of May 21, up to five candidates are eying an entry into the race. In addition to Donalds, first lady Casey DeSantis, Gaetz, former Democratic congressman David Jolly, and Florida state Senate leader Jason Pizzo have also signaled concrete interest in mounting bids for office.

While the election is more than 17 months away, behind-the-scenes plots to secure a win already appear to be brewing. 

Gaetz has publicly backed Casey as her husband’s successor in the governor’s mansion. But as of Wednesday, he’s reportedly still considering a run himself. A three-way GOP primary with himself, Donalds, and Casey could offer an opening “for a dark horse candidate to win the GOP nomination with just roughly 30% of the vote,” according to NBC News.

If Gaetz enters the race, it could add another complicating factor to the campaign, as he is a close ally of Trump, who has already endorsed Donalds.

However, even a race between just Donalds and Casey could get dicey as the lawmaker attempts to navigate challenging a woman whose husband he called “the best governor in the country.” Donalds and the Florida governor’s once-close relationship initially “frayed” after the lawmaker endorsed Trump over DeSantis during the 2024 election. He eventually endorsed Trump as well.

Casey has yet to confirm a bid. But she has also refused to rule it out, most recently deflecting questions on Tuesday on the matter by saying Floridians “are so tired of politics” after the country “literally just went through an election cycle.”

When asked by reporters in late February if she would consider running, the Sunshine State’s first lady said: “To quote the late, great Yogi Berra, ‘When you come to a fork in the road, take it.'” 

“You guys can read into that what you want,” Ron added at the time. “I’ve had people coming up to me for years, begging to get her into the fray.”

Recent polling suggests the race could be quite competitive between Casey and Donalds. Should Gaetz launch a wildcard campaign on the Republican side, the race would become even trickier to navigate.

A survey by the James Madison Institute released this month showed Donalds leading Casey 44% to 25% among Republican voters, but only after respondents were told Trump had endorsed Donalds. Before the endorsement was disclosed, the two were statistically tied, with Casey at 29% and Donalds at 28%.

Two other contenders have expressed interest in challenging the growing field of Republican candidates during the general election.  

Democrats are banking on Jolly to mount a viable challenge to the GOP. Jolly represented Florida’s 13th Congressional District as a Republican from 2014 to 2017 before registering as a Democrat ahead of a likely bid for governor this year. 

Last month, he launched a political committee expected to boost his anticipated gubernatorial bid.

“I think more voices on the field are better, particularly in this moment,” Jolly told Fox News this week.

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Pizzo, who made waves for leaving the Democratic Party in April, told the outlet Tuesday he’s planning to run as a non-party-affiliated candidate after calling Democrats “dead” in Florida. His words come as Florida is now considered a solidly red state after swinging to the right in recent years, making it a challenge for Democrats to pull off statewide wins. Pizzo hopes independents, a growing force to be reckoned with in the U.S. electorate, can help catapult him to the governor’s mansion.

“People need to really understand, [people with no party affiliation] decide who wins elections in this state,” the Florida state Senate leader said.