Byron Donalds says conservatives must focus on mission as 2026 approaches
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Florida Republican Congressman Byron Donalds said Sunday that the best response for conservatives to recent election setbacks is to try and focus on crafting their own vision for the country and delivering concrete results to the American people.
“It’s really about what you do,” Donalds said earlier in the day, speaking of congressional gridlock and the inability of conservatives to get some of their agenda through a Republican-dominated legislature. “And I think that’s part of the message in Turning Point.”
“Look, we have differences of opinion, that’s all well and good. We have to focus on the mission ahead of us. We have to focus on what will actually get voters to the polls and make sure they go out to vote. This is about having a set of positions, a philosophy, a vision for the future of this country. We have that vision. We have to continue to communicate it.”
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Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., speaks in Hollywood, Florida. (Al Diaz/Getty Images)
When asked about election losses in recent months, including in Trump-friendly Miami; Not far from Donalds’ district in Collier County, the congressman said it showed conservatives “can’t rest on their laurels” after successfully electing Trump and being tasked with governing the far left.
“And trust me, I’m happy he’s president, but you’ve got to keep at it. You’ve got to keep getting people to the polls. It always gets to that point,” he said, adding that Democrats are motivated to get into races like Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Miami, the latter of which is a runoff, especially in the middle of the holiday season.
“We need to meet that motivation knowing that when our policies are implemented, it’s better for the American people. It’s better for our nation. It’s better for every state in America.”
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In Miami, Democrats reclaimed the mayoralty for the first time this century, while the previous Democratic mayor in 1998, Xavier Suarez, later became a Republican and fathered outgoing Republican Francis Suarez.
Donalds suggested that races in the city offer lessons for competitions across the country.
“Specific to Miami, there are independent mayors, etc. … First, you had runoff elections a few weeks before Christmas. These are very tough elections to turn people off. That’s why we have to be mission-focused on the nuts and bolts of the campaigns,” he said.
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“And they’re always about getting people to the polls. It’s about messaging. It’s about direct contact with the candidate. That’s what we need to focus on. As long as we’re doing those things, we have the policies and the vision.”
In this context, Donalds said that he was encouraged by the thousands of young people who attended AmericaFest.
“I remember, you know, 15 years ago we never thought you could do an event like this… where so many high school students, college students come,” he joked.
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“And it’s here, it was built, and it’s all really about the life and legacy of Charlie Kirk. The responsibility now is to make sure we continue that movement.”
In this context, he criticized the recent “pettiness and foolish divisions” and reiterated that conservatives should “focus on the mission.”
“The mission is to win elections. You win elections to convey and institutionalize your agenda.”
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Although he is the front-runner in his own race to replace Gov. Ron DeSantis, there are suggestions that other prominent Florida Republicans could join the race, potentially forcing voters to choose a side in the primary.
When asked about the possibility, Donalds said his race is going “incredibly well” and that Trump is running against Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla. and has garnered significant support from many top congressmen from the Sunshine State and beyond, he said.
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“We’re very fortunate to be in the position I’m in right now… You know, the primaries are happening. We have this debate, we have this opposition. I firmly believe that when you layer the record and the policies, you layer the vision that I’m going to be very successful,” he said.
“And our focus from now on will be to reassemble our party after the primaries are over to focus on victory; that’s the recipe for success.”
Fox News Digital’s Paul Mitchell Picasso contributed to this report.
