Story perspectives

Donalds names Bryan Avila lieutenant governor nominee

8/25/2026

Summary

Donalds Picks Avila

Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) chose State Sen. Bryan Avila as lieutenant governor nominee.
He announced the pick on Aug. 25, 2026 at Miami’s Freedom Tower.
Donalds won the Republican primary a week earlier with roughly 48 percent of the vote.
Avila, a Cuban-American National Guard captain, was named ACU’s 2024 Most Conservative Legislator.
Donalds will face Democrat David Jolly and Gwen Graham in November, with Jolly citing U.S. President Donald Trump as pivotal.

Summary

Avila Legislates Reform

Avila sponsored a 2024 law limiting local governments' ability to block demolition of flood-vulnerable historic buildings, drawing preservationist criticism.
He introduced legislation easing combat medics' transition into civilian nursing careers.
Avila championed Everglades protection measures while serving in the Florida Senate.
He authored a bill regulating data centers to reduce cyber-attack risks.
Outside politics, Avila serves as dean of the School of Criminal Justice at Doral College.

History

Historical Context

In 1992, Jeb Bush captured the Florida governorship, marking the Republican Party’s first statewide victory since 1966. Bush secured 56% of the popular vote, defeating Democrat Lawton Chiles, while the Republican Party raised $12 million for the campaign. Similarly, Rep. Byron Donalds leveraged that GOP momentum by naming Cuban-American National Guard captain Bryan Avila lieutenant governor at Miami’s historic Freedom Tower on August 25, 2026. The 1992 breakthrough forged a template for aggressive state conservatism, now evident in Avila’s 2024 flood-building demolition limits, Everglades safeguards, and data-center cyber-risk statutes.

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Donalds Picks Avila

Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) chose State Sen. Bryan Avila as lieutenant governor nominee.
He announced the pick on Aug. 25, 2026 at Miami’s Freedom Tower.
Donalds won the Republican primary a week earlier with roughly 48 percent of the vote.
Avila, a Cuban-American National Guard captain, was named ACU’s 2024 Most Conservative Legislator.
Donalds will face Democrat David Jolly and Gwen Graham in November, with Jolly citing U.S. President Donald Trump as pivotal.

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