Despite pressure from Ron DeSantis, mega-donor Ken Griffin remains on the sidelines in the Florida governor’s race

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has been directly lobbying major GOP donor Ken Griffin to help fund a challenger to Republican Rep. Byron Donalds in the state’s 2026 gubernatorial race. But those pleas have been rebuffed, leaving the term-limited governor scrambling to find a viable financial backer for a new candidate.

Donald’s has already raised more than $30 million and received the endorsement of President Donald Trump. Although Donalds and the Florida governor were once allies, they fell out when Donalds broke with DeSantis and endorsed Trump in the 2024 presidential primary. As a result, DeSantis was looking for a candidate he could get behind to be his successor.

On at least two occasions, DeSantis spoke directly with Griffin or his chief political adviser about a range of issues, including putting their financial muscle behind rival Donald’s.

The first conversation was during a private dinner in early June in Miami, also attended by Keason Carter, who heads public affairs for Citadel, the investment firm that Griffin manages; Murray Al-Husseini, a major Republican donor and chairman of the University of Florida Board of Trustees; and Manny Kadri, who chairs the University of Miami’s board of trustees, according to three people with direct knowledge of the event.

During that summer sit-down, DeSantis floated the idea of ​​finding a challenger to Donalds, who was in the race in February. The governor did not focus on a specific candidate, but more on the general idea that he needs to devise a financial strategy to counter Donald’s, according to the sources.

The second time came during a political fundraiser on Fishers Island, New York, where the governor was playing golf with Carter, among others, and pitching to him the idea of ​​supporting Florida Lt. Gov. Jay Collins for the top job, according to four sources familiar with the event.

Although other candidates have been considered — including DeSantis’ wife, Casey — Collins is now seen as the candidate most likely to emerge with DeSantis’ support, a sentiment reinforced this week when a political nonprofit called Florida Fighters funded nearly $1.1 million in television ads focusing on Collins’ service as a Green Beret. The ads also say that, as lieutenant governor, he “fights alongside Gov. Ron DeSantis to keep Florida free.” The group is not required to disclose its donors.

One person who was in attendance at the golf event said that DeSantis “kept talking about his resume and his background and things like that.”

Despite direct pleas from DeSantis, Griffin has not pledged to support any candidate during the 2026 governor’s race.

“Kane has made no decision on the Florida governor’s race, and anyone who suggests otherwise is clearly wrong,” said a person with direct knowledge of Griffin’s thinking.

A spokeswoman for DeSantis did not respond to a request for comment.

Griffin was one of the largest donors to DeSantis’ 2022 reelection campaign, but decided not to support his presidential bid in 2024, in part because he was rejected by the governor’s focus on the culture wars.

The two have kept in touch, but so far, Griffin has shown no interest in helping DeSantis with his project to try to derail Donalds’ campaign.

Collins, a former Florida state senator whom DeSantis appointed as lieutenant governor in August, has not explicitly declared his intention to run for governor, but he has been publicly receptive to the idea.

“Stay tuned,” Collins said on The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show last month when asked about a potential offer. “I will have more information to share soon.”

Adding to this speculation is the fact that Collins has also played a more public-facing role in the DeSantis administration than is seen as traditional for a lieutenant governor, including taking on several roles. National media Interviews.

Collins told reporters Tuesday that he did not know who funded the Florida Fighters ads but that he was “extremely grateful” to whoever did.

“I’m very grateful to whatever group it was that got these people out there,” he said. “We are in this short and final stretch of finalizing our decision, and I am so grateful to this group. It is very encouraging to see people believing in our message and approach.”

Investor James Fishback He told Politico last week He was going to start running for governor on Monday, though he hasn’t done so yet. Fishback has presented himself as a pro-DeSantis candidate, and has repeatedly attacked Donalds on social media.

NBC News reported last week that DeSantis’ political team has been in direct contact with Fishback, though his team said they had no relationship with him.

Fishback still says he plans to run, but is no longer saying when he will get into the race.

“I will be making an announcement soon,” Fishback said to publish Monday, the day he originally said he would make the announcement. “Stay tuned.”