Southeast
'Show of force': Trump ally kicking off campaign in race to succeed Florida Gov DeSantis
GOP Rep. Byron Donalds formally launches his campaign for Florida governor on Friday with what is being billed as a hometown kickoff rally.
The conservative lawmaker, who has represented Florida’s 19th Congressional District in the southwest part of the state for four years, is currently the only major Republican to jump into the 2026 race to succeed term-limited GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Donalds, a staunch supporter and ally of President Donald Trump, announced his candidacy during an appearance on Fox News’ “Hannity” late last month, days after landing the president’s endorsement.
Additionally, two MAGA world rock-stars – Donald Trump Jr., the president’s eldest son, and Charlie Kirk, the conservative activist and commentator who leads the powerful Turning Point USA youth organization – have recorded videos for Donalds’ campaign kick-off, sources tell Fox News. Conservative commentator Benny Johnson will speak in person at the event.
FIRST ON FOX: LEADING CONSERVATIVE GROUP BACKS DONALDS IN FLORIDA
Rep. Byron Donalds, a Republican from Florida, during the Conservative Political Action Conference in National Harbor, Maryland, on Friday, Feb. 21, 2025. (Aaron Schwartz/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
The campaign event, in Bonita Springs, comes as Florida first lady Casey DeSantis has acknowledged she is considering a 2026 gubernatorial run to succeed her husband in Tallahassee.
“I think what you’ll see is a show of force and I think the support and the momentum that Bryon is generating across the state, whether it’s fundraising or grassroots support, will be evident,” veteran Republican strategist and Florida native Stephen Lawson told Fox News.
WHAT BYRON DONALDS TOLD FOX NEWS’ LARA TRUMP
Lawson – who served as an adviser to DeSantis as well as his predecessor in Tallahassee, former governor and current Sen. Rick Scott – emphasized that “with President Trump’s backing, Donalds is the person to beat in this race.”
DeSantis has repeatedly touted his wife’s accomplishments as Florida first lady and framed her as a worthy successor.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and his wife, first lady Casey DeSantis, celebrate his victory over Democratic gubernatorial nominee Rep. Charlie Crist during an election night watch party at the Tampa Convention Center on Nov. 8, 2022 in Tampa, Florida. (Octavio Jones/Getty Images)
Additionally, Casey DeSantis, late last month, stoked speculation when asked by reporters if she would run.
“To quote the late Yogi Berra,” DeSantis said as she reiterated a famous line from the late baseball legend. “If you see a fork in the road, take it.”
The governor then quipped to reporters that “you guys can read into that what you will.”
RON AND CASEY DESANTIS TEE OFF WITH TRUMP AS FLORIDA GOVERNOR’S RACE HEATS UP
When asked this month at the National Review Institute’s Ideas Summit in National Harbor, Maryland, if she might launch a campaign, Casey DeSantis said “we’ll see.”
Sources last month confirmed to Fox News that the governor has been reaching out to donors on behalf of his wife.
Casey DeSantis, Florida’s first lady, during a campaign event for her husband, Gov. Ron DeSantis, in Atlantic, Iowa, on Saturday, Jan. 13, 2024. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
The next campaign cash filing deadline in the Florida governor’s race comes at midnight Monday, and a source in the congressman’s political orbit predicted to Fox News that Donalds would “easily eclipse” the $1 million DeSantis raised in his first month as a gubernatorial candidate in his successful 2018 campaign to succeed Scott as governor.
“I think he’s going to show a really strong fundraising number,” added another Florida-based Republican strategist, who asked to remain anonymous to speak more freely.
Donalds has been complimentary of Gov. DeSantis.
“We have a great governor,”Donalds said last month in his “Hannity” interview. “Ron DeSantis has done a tremendous job for our state. But now the job is to keep the best state in the country as the best state in the country. And so that’s going to be the mission at hand.”
Rep. Byron Donalds speaks inside the Capital One arena at an event for President Donald Trump’s second inauguration, in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 20, 2025. (REUTERS/Mike Segar)
A GOP strategist who has long worked on Florida races said he thinks Donalds “has been really careful to be kumbaya with the governor and Casey. I think you’ve seen that from his messaging… He wants to build on the conservative record of success in Florida while also forging his own path.”
However, the source added that Donalds will use Friday’s campaign kickoff to “put a marker down to show that this is his race to win.”
An internal poll conducted earlier this month for Donalds’ campaign indicated the congressman edging Casey DeSantis by single digits in a hypothetical GOP primary showdown. However, the survey suggested that Donalds’ lead surged to more than 20 points when respondents were informed that he is supported by Trump, whose sway over the GOP is stronger than ever.
Florida used to be the nation’s top general election battleground state, but it has dramatically swung to the right in the past couple of election cycles. DeSantis won his 2022 re-election by nearly 20 points, and Trump carried the state last November by 13 points.
With Florida now clearly a red state, the winner of the Republican gubernatorial primary will be considered the favorite in next year’s general election.
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Southeast
Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms announces Georgia governor bid, slams Trump in campaign video
Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms launched a Georgia gubernatorial bid on Tuesday, slamming President Donald Trump in a campaign video.
“Donald Trump is a disaster for our economy and our country. From his failure to address rising prices to giving an un-elected billionaire the power to cut Medicare and Social Security. It’s one terrible thing after another,” she asserts in the video, later declaring, “Georgia families deserve far better than what Donald Trump and Republicans are giving us.”
Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
TRUMP ALLY MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE SAYS SHE WON’T RUN FOR SENATE WHILE BLASTING DEMS AND FELLOW REPUBLICANS
Left: White House Public Engagement Advisor Keisha Lance Bottoms speaks at a press briefing at the White House on Jan. 13, 2023, in Washington, D.C.; Right: President Donald Trump outside the West Wing of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, May 8, 2025 (Left: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images; Right: Bonnie Cash/UPI/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
But the Republican Governors Association (RGA) took aim at the newly announced candidate.
“Keisha Lance Bottoms’ record as Mayor is one that was a disaster for Atlanta — crime skyrocketed, with incidents of homicide, rape, aggravated assault all surging due to her failed policies. Atlanta was drastically unsafe under Bottoms, and the last thing Georgians want is to bring her policies to the entire state. Bottoms is a risk Georgians cannot afford,” RGA Communications Director Courtney Alexander charged in a statement.
Bottoms said in the video that “expanding Medicaid” would be her “top priority” as the state’s governor, and that she would “work to eliminate state income taxes for teachers.”
She worked for President Joe Biden during a portion of his White House tenure. In 2022 she was announced as Senior Advisor to the President for Public Engagement, and then in 2023 Bottoms was selected to serve on the President’s Export Council.
POPULAR GOP GOV BRIAN KEMP ANNOUNCES WHETHER HE’LL RUN FOR SENATE IN BATTLEGROUND GEORGIA
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp speaks on an episode of the Ruthless Podcast at the 2024 Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum on Jul. 16, 2024, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
Current Peach State Gov. Brian Kemp, a popular Republican who is now serving his second consecutive term, is term-limited and not eligible to seek re-election in 2026.
BIDEN’S FORMER SENIOR ADVISER KEISHA LANCE BOTTOMS REJOINING WHITE HOUSE IN NEW ROLE
St. George, Georgia, welcome to Georgia sign (Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
In addition to Bottoms, Republican state Attorney General Chris Carr and Democratic state Sen. Jason Esteves, are both also running for the job.
Olu Brown — who previously “served as the Founding and Lead Pastor of Impact United Methodist Church,” according to olubrown.com — is also seeking the governorship.
In the Republican race to succeed Kemp, Carr may soon have company
Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, a supporter and ally of President Donald Trump, is seriously considering a bid for governor.
Also considered potential candidates are Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a three-term congresswoman with a national following who represents a congressional district in the northwest part of the state and is a top Trump ally in the House of Representatives.
Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report
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The body of a father of five who vanished last week while kayaking on a Georgia lake has been discovered underwater, police said.
Dustin Valencia, 43, was reported missing Wednesday by his wife after he did not show up to pick up his children from school, the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office said.
A search ensued and authorities tracked his last location to Lake Lanier in Georgia, where they found Valencia’s car parked nearby, along with his flip-flops and the bag used to store his inflatable kayak.
On Friday, the department announced that game wardens with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, using sonar equipment, located a body in the lake. Divers from the Forsyth County Fire Department recovered the remains from about 51 feet of water near the center of a cove.
NAVY VET DAD FOUND DEAD NEAR RESORT WHILE AT POPULAR VACATION DESTINATION WITH FAMILY
The body recovered Friday from Lake Lanier has been identified as missing kayaker Dustin Valencia, a father of five from Cumming, Georgia. (The Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office)
On Monday, the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the body was that of Valencia.
In the days following his disappearance, Valencia’s kayak and paddle were found floating near the outer edge of the cove. Friends say he was training for a triathlon and had likely gone kayaking for exercise.
Authorities said the 43-year-old kayaker was not wearing a life vest at the time of his drowning.
“My understanding is that he was not wearing a life vest,” an official said, according to Fox News affiliate WAGA-TV. “Even strong swimmers can have a medical emergency or cramp. If that happens, and you’re not wearing a life jacket, you’re at serious risk.”
Dustin Valencia disappeared May 14 after failing to pick up his children; his belongings were found near Little Ridge Park, and his kayak was later located in the water. (Dustin Valencia/Facebook)
WISCONSIN KAYAKER ACCUSED OF FAKING HIS OWN DEATH, FLEEING COUNTRY CHARGED WITH OBSTRUCTION
An official cause of death has not been released. The case remains under investigation by the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes Unit. The sheriff’s office referred Fox News Digital to the department’s press release.
“Please continue to share [and] pray,” a GoFundMe for the family said. “The Valencia family feels your love and strength, and they are deeply grateful for the community that surrounds them.”
Lake Lanier, a reservoir in Atlanta, Georgia, that is a popular destination for water sports enthusiasts. (Getty Images)
Lake Lanier, where Valencia disappeared, is home to a popular local legend. The ghost story of the Lady of the Lake involves a woman in a blue dress who is said to haunt the lake after dying in a car accident there in the 1950s.
The man-made lake has a maximum depth of about 160 feet and was created in the 1950s by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
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Louisiana law enforcement officials released new booking pictures of four captured inmates who escaped a jail in New Orleans as they face new charges.
The Louisiana Department of Public Safety released new booking pictures for Kendell Myles, Robert Moody, Gary Price and Dkenan Dennis, all of whom are accused of escaping the Orleans Justice Center on Friday. Six inmates are still at large.
Price, who was arrested Monday, faces new charges of simple escape, possession of a controlled substance and unauthorized entry of an inhabited dwelling. He was initially arrested for attempted first-degree murder, domestic abuse and aggravated assault.
Myles was also charged with simple escape after he was found hiding under a car in a hotel parking lot on May 16. Moody and Dennis, too, were charged with simple escape, a Louisiana State Police spokeswoman told Fox News Digital.
LOUISIANA JAIL WORKER ARRESTED FOR ALLEGEDLY HELPING 10 INMATES ESCAPE ORLEANS PARISH FACILITY
The Louisiana Department of Public Safety released new booking pictures of Kendell Myles, Robert Moody, Gary Price and Dkenan Dennis. (Louisiana Department of Public Safety)
Sterling Williams, 33, an employee of the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office, was arrested Tuesday and charged with 10 counts of principal to simple escape and malfeasance in office, according to Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill’s office.
Williams allegedly shut off water to the cell that the inmates escaped from, and rather than reporting the inmates, Murrill said, Williams helped them.
He allegedly told detectives that the escapees threatened to “shank” him if he didn’t help them break out of the jail, according to an arrest affidavit.
LOUISIANA STATE POLICE CAPTURES 4TH ESCAPED INMATE IN NOLA PRISON BREAK, 6 STILL AT LARGE
Gary C. Price is escorted to a helicopter by the Louisiana State Police and returned to jail after more than 72 hours on the run. (Louisiana State Police)
Williams told police that one of the escaped inmates attempted to grab his phone and “get him to bring a book with cash app information.” He was booked into jail on Tuesday.
“This is a continuing investigation, and we will provide updates as often as possible. We will uncover all the facts eventually, and anyone who aided and abetted will be prosecuted to the full extent the law allows. I encourage anyone who knows anything, and even those who may have provided assistance, to come forward now to obtain the best possible outcome in their particular case,” Murrill said.
Derrick Groves, 27, who was convicted of killing two men on Mardi Gras in New Orleans in 2018, is one of the escapees still on the run. He was awaiting sentencing when he broke out of jail.
Sterling Williams is accused of helping 10 inmates escape from the Orleans Parish Jail. (Louisiana Department of Justice)
In a statement given to the New Orleans City Council on Tuesday, Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson took “full accountability” for the jailbreak.
“It is deeply troubling to me, as your sheriff, and I know it is equally troubling for you, the public, who we are sworn to protect,” Hutson said.
Hutson said in a Facebook statement she takes “full accountability for what happened.”
Photos provided by Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office shows, from left top, Dkenan Dennis, Gary C. Price, Robert Moody, Kendell Myles, Corey E. Boyd, and, bottom from left, Lenton Vanburen Jr., Jermaine Donald, Antoine T. Massey, Derrick D. Groves and Leo Tate Sr. (Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office via AP)
“This breach happened under my leadership, occurred on my watch, and it is my responsibility to ensure it is addressed with urgency and transparency,” she said.
The following fugitives are still at large:
- Corey E. Boyd, 19, faces charges of second-degree murder, attempted second-degree murder, aggravated battery, illegal carrying of weapons involving a crime, and obstruction of justice.
- Lenton J. Vanburen Jr., 26, faces charges of illegal carrying of weapons, possession of a firearm or weapon by a felon, obstruction of justice, and introducing contraband in prison.
- Jermaine Donald, 42, faces charges of second-degree murder, aggravated battery, possession of a firearm or weapon by a felon, and obstruction of justice.
- Antoine Massey, 32, faces charges of domestic abuse involving strangulation, theft of a motor vehicle, and a parole violation.
- Derrick Groves, 27, faces three counts of attempted second-degree murder, two counts of second-degree murder, and battery of a correctional facility employee.
- Leo O. Tate Sr., 31, faces charges of simple burglary of an inhabited dwelling, possession of a firearm or weapon by a felon, illegal carrying of a weapon, motor vehicle theft, and multiple drug counts.
Fox News’ Peter D’Abrosca and Alexandra Koch contributed to this report.
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