Naples Congressman Byron Donalds back in the running for Speaker of the House

Byron Donalds is back in the race for Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Announcing on X Friday night, the Naples Republican wrote he hopes to "become the first African American Speaker, the first Speaker from the great state of Florida, and the next Speaker of the 118th Congress," focusing on "securing our border, funding our government responsibly, advancing a conservative vision for the House of Representatives and the American people, and expanding our Republican majority."

Donalds had backed Ohio Republican Jim Jordan in each of three recent votes. After Jordan failed each time, the GOP pulled his nomination and Donalds entered the running for the post — for the second time.

In January, the banker-turned-sophomore congressman emerged as an alternative to Californian Kevin McCarthy. Donalds earned some hard, hard-right supporters and plenty of attention before McCarthy became speaker, and before his party removed him in an historic vote earlier this month.

The self-described "Trump-supporting, liberty-loving, pro-life, pro-Second Amendment Black man" also has been mentioned as a potential Trump VP pick or Florida governor.

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Initially, Donalds, 44, didn't say whether he'd run again for Speaker, emphasizing the secrecy of the process. "We don't want to just be floating names for news clips,” he told Fox News earlier this month.

Once his name appeared again, supporters exulted. He quickly drew the backing of fellow Florida Republicans Cory Mills of Winter Haven, Vern Buchanan of Sarasota and Mario Diaz-Balart of Hialeah. "I supported Jim Jordan for our next Speaker," Mills wrote on X Friday afternoon. "Unfortunately my votes for him on the floor and in conference to remain Speaker designate was not enough. I now support Byron Donalds."

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Byron Donalds is back in the running for Speaker of the House