The Republican campaign for the governorship of Florida this Wednesday highlighted a familiar face for Hispanic voters: state senator Bryan Ávila, son of Cuban exiles, features prominently in the new Spanish-language advertisement for the Byron Donalds-Ávila ticket, as reported by Florida Politics.
The 30-second spot, titled "Affordable," is aired on television, radio, and digital platforms as part of an investment of at least one million dollars —described by the campaign as one of its greatest commitments to reaching Hispanic voters— and coincides with a series of visits by the Republican tandem to Latino communities in South and Central Florida.
Donalds does not appear speaking at any point in the announcement. It is Ávila who takes the floor: "We will fight for a more affordable Florida and for safe communities for our families," he says in Spanish.
And he adds: "Having Byron Donalds as our next governor ensures a free, strong, and prosperous Florida."
The choice of Ávila as spokesperson is not coincidental. Born in Hialeah on June 25, 1984, he is the son of Cubans who left the island and settled in the United States — his father as a truck driver, his mother as a secretary.
Donalds announced himself as a candidate for lieutenant governor on August 25 at the Freedom Tower in Miami, a building that served as a Cuban Refugee Center from 1962 to 1974, a deliberately symbolic setting for the Cuban-American community.
"My parents fled Communist Cuba and left behind their home and business because they knew what happens when the government takes control, when freedom disappears, and when socialism turns opportunity into misery," Ávila said that day at the Freedom Tower.
The Hispanic outreach director of the campaign, Laura Roscoe, emphasized that the message is tailored to the background of each community: "The Hispanic community in Florida is not a single community. There are many. Whether it's a Cuban, Puerto Rican, Venezuelan, Colombian family, or from any other place in Latin America, each brings its own story and unique experiences."
The urgency of that effort is clear in the surveys. A poll by St. Pete Polls conducted in mid-September placed Donalds at 43.5% and the Democrat David Jolly at 43.4%, a technical tie that turns the race into a "toss-up" according to Decision Desk HQ. Even more revealing: among Hispanic respondents, Jolly led Donalds 48% to 39%.
This data contrasts with the historical support of Cuban Americans for the Republican Party. In 2024, 68% of Cuban Americans in Miami-Dade voted for Trump—the highest recorded level—leading the county to have a majority of registered Republican voters for the first time in its modern history.
That Jolly leads among Hispanics in 2026 explains why Donald's campaign resorts to the figure and biography of Ávila to regain ground.
In her first interview in Spanish, granted to Univision 23 Miami in mid-September, Ávila addressed Cubans in irregular migration status directly: "Don’t lose hope, continue with the legal process."
And regarding the policy towards Havana, he was emphatic: "The next governor of the state, Byron Donalds, will continue with that firm hand. There will be no place for socialism in Florida."
Donalds has an overwhelming financial advantage —almost 130 million dollars raised compared to less than 16 million for Jolly— but analysts warn that money isn't everything.
"Byron has been everywhere. He has had different types of advertisements. I think he hasn't been seen as sufficiently focused on Florida," noted analyst Matt Towery from Insider Advantage, who compared the upcoming election night to DeSantis's narrow victory over Gillum in 2018.
The general election will take place on November 3.
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