Florida Police Union Representing 24,000 Officers Endorses Byron Donalds for Governor

Florida police union representing 24,000 officers endorses Byron Donalds for governor

Florida’s largest police union backs Byron Donalds in governor’s race

The Florida State Lodge Fraternal Order of Police announced its endorsement of Congressman Byron Donalds for governor on September 8, 2026, according to Floridian Press. The union, which says it represents more than 24,000 law enforcement officers and their families across the state, cited Donalds’ commitment to public safety as the basis for its support.

The endorsement gives Donalds, a Republican running to succeed Governor Ron DeSantis, the backing of one of the most visible law enforcement organizations in Florida politics. In statewide races, an FOP endorsement signals to voters that a candidate is viewed favorably by the officers who enforce the laws he or she would oversee as governor.

What the union said about public safety

The Florida State Lodge FOP framed its support for Donalds around the officers and families it represents. “On behalf of the Florida State Lodge Fraternal Order of Police and the more than 24,000 law enforcement officers and families we represent across the,” the union said in its statement announcing the endorsement, according to Floridian Press.

The statement centers on public safety as the union’s primary concern. That’s typical of how police unions frame endorsements: not around a candidate’s full policy platform, but around the issues that matter most to their membership, including officer pay, legal protections, staffing levels and political support for law enforcement generally. Floridian Press’s report did not include additional detail from the union beyond its emphasis on Donalds’ record on public safety.

Who Byron Donalds is and where he stands in the 2026 race

Byron Donalds is a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Florida and a declared candidate for governor in 2026. He is running to succeed Ron DeSantis, who is term-limited and cannot seek reelection. The FOP endorsement adds to the coalition of support Donalds has built as he competes for the Republican nomination and, eventually, the general electorate.

Donalds has positioned himself within the Republican Party’s law-and-order wing, a stance that lines up with what police unions typically look for in a gubernatorial candidate. The FOP’s decision to endorse him this early, more than a year before Floridians vote, suggests the union sees him as a strong contender and wants that support known to its membership and to other voters who weigh police endorsements heavily.

His congressional record on law enforcement issues

As a member of Congress, Donalds has generally aligned himself with positions favored by law enforcement groups, including opposition to efforts to cut police funding and support for measures framed as backing officers on the job. The FOP’s endorsement statement did not cite specific legislation, committee votes or bills sponsored by Donalds as the basis for its decision, focusing instead on his broader commitment to public safety. Floridian Press’s report did not provide additional detail on his voting record related to law enforcement.

Inside the Florida State Lodge Fraternal Order of Police

The Fraternal Order of Police is a labor and advocacy organization for active and retired law enforcement officers, with state lodges operating across the country. The Florida State Lodge represents officers throughout the state, acting both as a collective voice on workplace issues like pay and benefits and as a political actor that weighs in on local and statewide elections.

The FOP’s political activity extends beyond legislative advocacy to direct candidate endorsements, which it uses to tell its membership and the broader public which candidates it views as supportive of law enforcement interests. The Donalds endorsement fits that pattern: a formal statement from the state lodge, tied explicitly to the officers and families it says it represents.

Scope of the union’s membership and political influence

The Florida State Lodge FOP says it represents more than 24,000 law enforcement officers and their families statewide, according to the union’s own endorsement statement as reported by Floridian Press. That membership figure gives the organization a base it can mobilize, whether through direct member outreach, public statements or coordination with local lodges across Florida’s counties.

An organization representing tens of thousands of officers carries weight beyond its raw membership numbers. Officers are embedded in communities across the state, and their families, colleagues and social networks extend the union’s reach well past its formal roster. That’s part of why gubernatorial campaigns actively seek FOP support rather than treating it as a symbolic gesture.

Why police endorsements matter in Florida’s gubernatorial contest

Public safety consistently ranks as a top concern for Florida voters, and a governor plays a direct role in setting law enforcement policy statewide, including budget priorities and appointments that affect police agencies. An endorsement from the state’s largest police union gives a candidate something hard to manufacture through campaign advertising alone: the explicit backing of the people who do the job.

For Donalds, the FOP endorsement reinforces his law-and-order positioning with a constituency that has direct credibility on the issue. It also gives undecided voters a data point they may weigh as a proxy for a candidate’s broader approach to crime, public safety funding and support for first responders. In a competitive Republican primary field, that kind of institutional backing can help set a candidate apart from rivals courting the same voters.

Historical pattern of FOP endorsements in statewide races

Police unions, including state FOP lodges, have a long history of weighing in on statewide races across the country, typically favoring candidates who emphasize support for law enforcement funding, officer protections and tougher approaches to crime. Floridian Press’s report did not detail the Florida State Lodge FOP’s specific endorsement history in prior gubernatorial races, so it’s not possible to say how this year’s timing or process compares to past cycles. What is clear from the union’s own statement is that it views Donalds’ candidacy as consistent with its long-standing focus on public safety.

Reaction from the Donalds campaign and other stakeholders

Floridian Press’s report on the endorsement did not include a direct statement from the Donalds campaign, nor did it detail reaction from other candidates in the governor’s race or from rival law enforcement organizations. That absence isn’t unusual for an endorsement announced directly by the endorsing organization, and further campaign response may follow.

What is documented is the union’s own framing: an endorsement built around its membership size and its stated confidence in Donalds’ commitment to public safety. Additional context, from the Donalds campaign, competing candidates or other law enforcement groups, will depend on how the race develops in the weeks following the announcement.

What comes next in the race for Florida governor

The FOP endorsement lands more than a year ahead of the 2026 general election, giving Donalds’ campaign time to use the union’s support in outreach to voters who prioritize public safety. Whether other law enforcement organizations follow with endorsements of their own, and how rival candidates respond, will shape how much weight this early backing carries by the time Florida voters head to the polls.

For now, the endorsement is one data point in a developing primary contest, and one Donalds’ campaign is likely to cite as evidence of law enforcement support in the months ahead.