Byron Donalds is expected to announce his running mate Tuesday at Miami’s Freedom Tower, and bryan avila has emerged as the favorite for the role. The choice would put a State Sen. from Miami-Dade at the center of a Republican ticket that is trying to widen its reach there.
Avila was raised in Hialeah by Cuban immigrant parents and serves as a captain in the Florida Army National Guard. He served eight years in the House before moving to the upper chamber, and the American Conservative Union recognized him as the most conservative member of the Legislature in 2024.
Miami-Dade and Freedom Tower
Susan MacManus said Donalds choosing Miami and the Freedom Tower sends a signal about where Republicans need strength. She said, “It tells you that’s a very important part of the state for Republicans because then they need to gain back some of the support they’ve lost recently over ICE.”
Vanessa Brito said Donalds needs a Hispanic running mate and needs to fill the gap in Miami-Dade support. She said, “He needs a Hispanic. He needs to fill the gap,” and added, “In order to mobilize them, you need a reason, and for Hispanics the reason is somebody who looks like them, talks like them, and has been through what they’ve been through.”
Bryan Avila and District 39
Avila’s record gives the campaign a candidate with local roots and legislative experience. He has championed Everglades protection, introduced legislation that made it easier for combat medics to become nurses, carried water for Ron DeSantis on property tax reform, and routinely criticized Miami-Dade city government.
The reported pick also carries a practical question for Florida Republicans if Avila leaves District 39. His seat would have to be filled under the rules that govern legislative vacancies, which makes him a potentially easier choice than an outsider with no current office to replace.
Tuesday at Freedom Tower
Donalds lost to Jay Collins in 17 rural counties in the primary, and those counties have 233,000 registered voters. Miami-Dade has 1.29 million registered voters, so the announcement points toward a ticket strategy aimed at a far larger pool of voters in one county than in the rural counties that were already counted in the primary.
The immediate question is whether Donalds uses the Freedom Tower event to make Avila his running mate or turns to one of the other names floated for the role, including Ana Maria Rodriguez, Meg Weinberger, Kat Cammack, Anna Paulina Luna and Jay Collins. If Avila is the pick, the campaign gets a state lawmaker with Cuban family roots, military service and a record built for Miami-Dade outreach.
