Florida Republicans fend off Democrats as state elects first black governor

What the report says

Republicans in Florida held off Democratic challenges in the 2026 midterm elections, according to BBC World News, with the state also electing its first Black governor. The outlet said Republican Byron Donalds, who was backed by President Donald Trump, was projected to win the governor’s race. Donalds had served in Congress since 2021 and was running to succeed term-limited Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis.

BBC World News also reported that Republican Ashley Moody was projected to keep her Senate seat in a special election for the post previously held by Marco Rubio. She faced Democrat Angie Nixon, who had emerged from a competitive primary but was outspent in the general campaign. The results came alongside broader Democratic gains nationally, which the article said gave Democrats full control of the U.S. House and Senate for the final years of Trump’s presidency.

The Florida outcomes were notable because Republicans had entered the cycle with a strong position in the state, including redrawn political maps intended to aid their candidates. Even so, the BBC said Democrats held all three Republican-favored districts that had been redrawn. The developments underscore both Florida’s continued importance as a battleground and the limits of Republican map-making efforts in the state.