BAD ROMANCE: FL gov. candidate Byron Donalds facing scandal on overlapping marriage history with ex-wife
Florida Congressman Byron Donalds, a 47-year-old Republican and staunch ally of President Donald Trump, is facing renewed scrutiny over his personal life amid his frontrunning bid to succeed Gov. Ron DeSantis in the 2026 Florida gubernatorial election.
DeSantis, who served two terms after winning in 2018 and 2022, announced in 2024 that he would not seek re-election, paving the way for a competitive primary set for August 18, 2026, followed by the general election in November. Donalds, who has represented Florida's 19th congressional district in the U.S. House since 2021, leads recent polls with 37% support according to a mid-January 2026 Patriot Polling survey.
However, revelations from his ex-wife, Bisa Hall, detailed in a Daily Mail exclusive published on February 19, allege that Donalds was still legally married to her when he began dating and impregnated his current wife, Erika Donalds, in late 1999. Hall, whom Donalds married in 1999 primarily for financial aid reasons during their college years, claims they never cohabited and that he initially wooed her with a fake Jamaican accent at Florida A&M University in 1997 to "stand out," which he dropped shortly after.
The scandal erupted following Erika Donalds' Valentine's Day social media post, reminiscing about their first encounter in the fall of 1999 at Florida State University's Oglesby Student Union and their initial date on Valentine's Day 2000. Hall told the Daily Mail that this timeline overlapped with their marriage, which ended in divorce in 2002 after Erika's pregnancy forced the issue. Hall expressed hurt not over the dating itself but over Donalds' refusal to grant her a divorce earlier despite multiple requests, and his failure to pay his $125 share of the $250 divorce costs. She emphasized that the marriage was legal but unconsummated, and blamed Donalds for not being honest about his marital status with Erika, whom she met once.
Donalds, who shares three children with Erika, has not denied the allegations but issued a statement regretting his handling of the first marriage while calling his union with Erika "the greatest decision I ever made."
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Donalds' political rival, 31-year-old James Fishback, who trails in polls at 23%, seized on the story to criticize Donalds for adultery, labeling it a "sin" and proposing reforms to Florida's divorce laws that would impose financial penalties on cheating spouses. Fishback expressed sympathy for Hall, stating the revelations inflict damage on families, though he faces his own controversies, including a past relationship with a 17-year-old when he was 27, which led to a protective order request, and racially charged remarks toward Donalds, such as calling him "By'rone" and accusing him of wanting to turn Florida into a "Section 8 ghetto."
Hall, now remarried and with no contact from Donalds in decades, reiterated that the accent was a ploy and that she holds no grudge against Erika. The episode highlights tensions in the GOP primary, where personal scandals could sway evangelical voters in a state known for its conservative base, potentially impacting Donalds' momentum as a rising MAGA star who appeared alongside Trump at the 2024 Republican National Convention.
This controversy adds to broader discussions of political accountability in Florida, a key swing state with a history of high-profile gubernatorial races featuring figures like DeSantis, who rose to national prominence through his handling of COVID-19 and culture-war issues.
Donalds, originally from Brooklyn with Jamaican heritage, transitioned from a finance career to politics, emphasizing economic conservatism and border security. While the scandal may resonate in a state where family values play a significant role in Republican primaries, analysts note that similar personal revelations have not always derailed candidates, as seen in Trump's own history of marital issues during his successful campaigns.