Byron Donalds’ campaign website looks different this week. The Florida Republican gubernatorial candidate has trimmed most of the President Trump references from his homepage and put his primary election night victory front and center instead.
A University of Central Florida political science professor says the shift is standard practice. Candidates lean hard on a president during the primary, then widen their appeal for the general election. The professor noted that Trump may not carry the same weight with November voters that he did with Republican primary voters. The Donalds campaign says he and Trump remain close and denies any rift, while Florida Democrats argue he’s distancing himself in a panic.
The move matters beyond one website. If a candidate with Trump’s endorsement is softening that connection in Florida, Republicans in competitive races nationwide may follow the same playbook. For Suncoast voters, the governor’s race will shape everything from hurricane recovery funding to red tide research and spring training tourism dollars.
What do you think — is this smart general election strategy or a credibility problem? Tell us in the comments or call in.
