Wesley Chapel voters are choosing Florida's next governor on Tuesday, Nov. 3, with Republican Byron Donalds and Democrat David Jolly heading a 10-ticket ballot to replace Gov. Ron DeSantis.

DeSantis cannot run again after two consecutive terms. He leaves office Jan. 5, 2027.

Polls close at 7 p.m. Eastern. Voters in line at that time can still cast a ballot. Results will be posted on the Florida Department of State's election results page.

More than 5.4 million Floridians had already voted early or by mail as of 8 a.m. Nov. 3, according to the Tallahassee Democrat. That is about 40% of the state's 13.7 million registered voters.

Who is on the ticket

Donalds-Avila (Republican): Donalds represents Southwest Florida's 19th Congressional District in the U.S. House, a seat he has held since 2021, according to candidate records. He served in the Florida House from 2016 to 2020. His running mate, Bryan Avila, left his Florida state Senate seat to join the ticket, according to the Independent Florida Alligator's voter guide. If elected, Donalds would be the first Black governor in Florida history, the Alligator reported. President Donald Trump has endorsed Donalds.

Jolly-Graham (Democratic): Jolly, who grew up in Dade City, served in the U.S. House from 2014 to 2017 as a Republican. He left the Republican Party in September 2018, co-founded the Forward Party in 2022 and registered as a Democrat in April 2025, according to biographical records. His running mate, Gwen Graham, served in the U.S. House from 2015 to 2017 and later held a post at the U.S. Department of Education. She is the daughter of former Florida Gov. Bob Graham. Former President Barack Obama has endorsed Jolly.

A New York Times/Siena Research Institute poll conducted Oct. 19–25 showed Donalds at 48% and Jolly at 44%, the Alligator reported.

Property insurance

Both candidates call homeowners insurance a top affordability issue but disagree on how to fix it, according to a Sun Sentinel comparison published Oct. 20.

Donalds said he wants to preserve the 2022 and 2023 insurance reforms, increase private-market competition, expand home-hardening grants and cut rebuilding costs through permitting reform. He told the Sun Sentinel his goal is to bring costs down another 20% to 25%.

Jolly proposed creating a state-backed catastrophe fund to carry hurricane and wind risk, with private insurers handling other coverage. His campaign has claimed the plan could cut premiums 60% to 70%. That estimate has not been established through an independent actuarial analysis, according to a Lower Mortgage policy comparison published Oct. 30. The Alligator also noted that a PolitiFact investigation found insurance experts doubt the fund would save homeowners in the long run.

Both plans would require approval from the Florida Legislature, the Lower Mortgage analysis noted.

Data centers hit close to home

Data center development is a live issue in Pasco County. The Pasco County Commission voted unanimously on July 14 to impose a one-year moratorium on large-scale data centers across the county's unincorporated areas, which includes Wesley Chapel, according to Wesley Chapel Community.

The candidates split on the issue. Jolly has promised an immediate one-year statewide moratorium on data centers if elected, according to the Alligator. Donalds has said he supports making data centers pay their own water and electricity costs rather than passing them onto residents, the Alligator reported. Avila sponsored SB 484, signed into law by DeSantis, which requires large-load electricity and water customers to cover their own infrastructure costs and preserves local zoning authority, according to Florida Politics.

Amendment 3 and Pasco's budget

Donalds supports Amendment 3, which would raise the homestead property tax exemption. Municipalities that rely on property taxes for services argue it would hurt local budgets, the Alligator reported.

In fast-growing Pasco County, the stakes are high. A House staff analysis projected the measure would cut annual revenue to non-school governments by about $4.6 billion statewide in its first year, climbing to roughly $8.4 billion as the exemption phases in, according to Wesley Chapel Community's analysis. Pasco's property tax base funds fire rescue, the Sheriff's Office, road maintenance and stormwater work across communities including Wesley Chapel, Land O' Lakes and Dade City.

Other candidates

The Florida Division of Elections' certified list shows eight additional qualified tickets beyond Donalds and Jolly, including Libertarian Scott Jewett, who has said fixing homeowners insurance would be his top priority, according to The Floridian. Charles Burkett, a former mayor of Surfside, is running with no party affiliation. Six other NPA and write-in tickets round out the ballot.

How to vote

Voters need a current, valid photo ID with signature. Acceptable forms include a Florida driver's license, Florida ID card, U.S. passport or military ID.