U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds has picked his running mate in the Florida governor's race.
If Donalds wins, the Naples-based lawmaker and GOP gubernatorial nominee wants state Sen. Bryan Avila, R-Miami, to be his lieutenant governor.
"I wanted a proven warrior to stand right beside me," Donalds said in the Tuesday announcement at the Freedom Tower at Miami Dade College. "Bryan is a conservative fighter with more than a decade in the Florida Legislature delivering real results."
ALSO READ: Donalds, Jolly will face off for governor as Florida’s statewide races are set
It comes a few months after Democratic gubernatorial candidate David Jolly made his choice: former congresswoman Gwen Graham.
Jolly weighed in soon after Donalds' announcement:
I congratulate former State Sen. Bryan Avila on his selection as the Republican Lieutenant Governor nominee. I wish him well. But, let's be honest: this race won't come down to Byron Donalds’ relationship with Avila, it will come down to Byron’s relationship with Donald Trump.
— David Jolly (@davidjollyfl) August 25, 2026
What is the lieutenant governor?
The lieutenant governor's role is in large part ceremonial.
An important part: if the governor is no longer able to serve, the lieutenant governor is next in the line of succession.
A lieutenant governor most recently took over for a governor in 1998, when Lt. Gov. Buddy MacKay assumed the role after Gov. Lawton Chiles died shortly before his second term ended. It happened in 1987, when Gov. Bob Graham resigned three days before his term ended after winning a U.S. Senate seat.
The Florida Constitution also says the lieutenant governor “shall perform such duties pertaining to the office of governor as shall be assigned by the governor.”
For example, Gov. Ron DeSantis' running mate was Jeanette Nuñez. As lieutenant governor, she oversaw the Florida Department of Health, led the Florida Cybersecurity Advisory Council and served on the Statewide Council on Human Trafficking, according to a governor’s office press release.
She left the position to become Florida International University's president. DeSantis appointed a Republican state senator, Jay Collins, to take her place. Collins launched an unsuccessful bid for governor.
ALSO READ: Florida has a new lieutenant governor, Jay Collins. What do they do?
Who is Bryan Avila?
Avila, a Cuban American, has served in the state Senate since 2022. Before that, he spent eight years in the state House, the maximum consecutive tenure allowed.
He serves as the dean of the School of Criminal Justice at Doral College and as a Florida Army National Guard captain.
This year, Avila sponsored the proposed constitutional amendment to lower Florida property taxes. It'll appear on ballots this November.
He's sponsored a number of other high-profile bills, too. They include the Stop WOKE Act, which would have restricted how race and gender could be discussed in classrooms and workplace trainings, though federal courts blocked key parts.
He also sponsored legislation this year creating stricter regulations for large data centers and preventing climate policies aimed at reaching net-zero emissions from both local governments and the state.
"My parents fled communist Cuba and left behind their home and their business because they knew what happens when government takes over, when freedom disappears and when socialism turns an opportunity into misery," Avila said on Tuesday.
"I can assure you this," he continued. "With Byron Donalds as governor and me as your lieutenant governor, socialism will never find a home in the great state of Florida."
ALSO READ: Florida Republicans seize on Angie Nixon’s win in election messaging
Who is Gwen Graham?
Graham, Jolly's lieutenant governor choice, is the daughter of the late Bob Graham, the former Florida governor and senator.
She served a term as a Democratic U.S. representative from 2015 to 2017 in a Northwest Florida district that included Tallahassee and Panama City.
That district was redrawn and made far more Republican-leaning. Graham didn't go for a second term. She instead ran for governor in 2018 but lost to then-Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum, who went on to lose to DeSantis.
Graham would later join former President Joe Biden's administration, serving as the assistant secretary for legislation and congressional affairs at the U.S. Department of Education.
“The connection David and I have built is on the simple belief that public service and public servants should focus and deliver on improving people's lives,” Graham said when Jolly announced her as his running mate.
Jolly is a former U.S. representative, too, but he served as a Republican. He says he left the party because of President Donald Trump.
If you have any questions about state government or the legislative process, you can ask the Your Florida team by clicking here.
This story was produced by WUSF as part of a statewide journalism initiative funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
