Trump heads to Florida for campaign stop

President Donald Trump is scheduled to arrive in Daytona Beach, Florida, on Friday to kick off the final phase of his midterm tour.

The stop centers on the governor's race, where Trump will support Byron Donalds. Donalds is a Trump ally running as the Republican candidate. He faces David Jolly, a former Republican congressman who switched parties to run as a Democrat.

Polls currently show Donalds in the lead. However, analysts describe the contest as competitive, a sharp contrast to the 2022 election. In that race, Governor Ron DeSantis secured reelection with a margin of nearly 20 points.

Trump is also expected to campaign for congressional candidates in the state. This includes Senator Ashley Moody, who is seeking a second term in a special election. Her opponent is State Representative Angie Nixon.

DeSantis appointed Moody to the Senate seat in 2025 after Marco Rubio moved to the State Department. The president will also visit the district of Representative Randy Fine, a freshman member of the House.

Fine took office in April 2025 following a special election. He replaced Mike Waltz, who left Congress to serve as the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. Florida recently redrew its congressional map, and Republicans currently hold 20 of the state's 28 House seats.