Overview
- Republican nominee Byron Donalds publicly announced State Sen. Bryan Avila as his lieutenant governor pick at Miami’s Freedom Tower on Tuesday, solidifying a full GOP ticket for the Nov. 3 general election.
- Avila is a Miami‑area Cuban‑American, a captain in the Florida Army National Guard, and a lawmaker since 2014 who has sponsored measures on data‑center regulation, a property‑tax cut amendment, and the Stop WOKE Act.
- Donalds and Avila said they will run on issues of affordability, lower taxes, public safety, parental rights, and school choice, using Avila’s South Florida ties to boost outreach in Miami‑Dade.
- The selection won broad praise from party leaders but drew criticism from at least one gun‑rights group for Avila’s 2018 vote on Parkland‑era gun legislation, creating a fissure with some Second Amendment activists.
- Democratic nominee David Jolly congratulated Avila while saying the race will center on Donalds’ relationship with President Donald Trump, and Avila’s move to the ticket will trigger a special election to fill his state Senate seat.