Donalds Selects Avila as Running Mate for Florida Governor

Republican gubernatorial nominee Byron Donalds selected State Senator Bryan Avila as his running mate on Tuesday, August 25, 2026, formally launching his ticket for the November general election. The announcement was made during a campaign event at the Freedom Tower in downtown Miami. Donalds, who secured the Republican nomination the previous week, introduced Avila as a proven conservative and dedicated public servant. "Bryan Avila is the son of Cuban exiles who fled communism so their children could live in freedom," Donalds told the crowd. "We didn't inherit political names.