Overview
- Byron Donalds formally announced State Sen. Bryan Avila as his lieutenant governor pick at Miami’s Freedom Tower, a venue tied to the Cuban‑American community, in a Tuesday campaign event.
- Avila is a Cuban‑American Miami lawmaker, a captain in the Florida Army National Guard, and a longtime legislator whose record includes the Stop WOKE Act, property tax measures and limits on large data centers.
- The selection drew quick praise from Republican leaders while Democratic nominee David Jolly congratulated Avila but said his campaign will instead highlight Donalds’ alliance with President Trump.
- At least one gun‑rights group criticized Avila for voting for a post‑Parkland gun‑safety bill in 2018, and other conservative groups gave mixed reactions over his past votes.
- Avila’s move to the statewide ticket creates a vacancy in his state Senate seat that will prompt a special election to pick his replacement and could reshape local Capitol votes before the 2027 legislative session.