One of the surprise nominees for Speaker of the House is a Florida rep. Who is Byron Donalds?

During GOP leader Kevin McCarthy's bumpy ride to become Speaker of the House, several names have been put forward by his opposition. About 20 Republican hard-liners seem determined to keep him out and they continue to nominate other legislators. And one of those nominees has Florida in front of his title.

On Tuesday, McCarthy was denied the 218 votes he needed to win in three separate ballots. It was the first time in a century that a speaker was not elected on the first round. During the three ballots, Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan, Arizona Rep. Andy Biggs, Indiana Rep. Jim Banks, former New York Rep. Lee Zeldin and Florida Rep. Byron Donalds received votes.

On Wednesday, Republican opposition backed Donalds in a fourth and fifth loss for McCarthy, with Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz helping lead the opposition. But who is Byron Donalds?

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Who is U.S. Rep Byron Donalds?

Bryon Lowell Donalds is a Florida House Republican from Naples, first elected to Congress in 2020.

Born in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, the middle of three children raised by a single mother, Donalds, 44, is a graduate of Florida State University where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in finance and marketing in 2002. He has worked at TIB Bank, CMG Life Services, and Moran Wealth in Naples.

Donalds entered politics as part of the Tea Party movement and ran for the Florida House of Representatives in Florida's 19th congressional district. He finished fifth, out of six candidates. He ran again and won in 2016, replacing retiring incumbent Francis Rooney to represent Hendry County and east Collier County in the State Capitol. Donalds was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2022.

Donalds’ rough background and hard-core conservatism have made him a GOP rising star endorsed by former president Donald Trump.  Donalds has described himself as a "Trump-supporting, liberty-loving, pro-life, pro-Second Amendment Black man."

Donalds, married to his wife Erika with three sons, Damon, Darin, and Mason, recently was named Florida’s Most Conservative Florida GOP lawmaker by the Conservative Review, a product of Glenn Beck’s Blaze Media. His 100% score is a distinction he shares with Georgia’s Marjorie Taylor Green, Texas’ Chip Roy, and Colorado’s Lauren Boebert.

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What district does Byron Donalds represent?

Florida's 19th congressional district, which encompasses most of Lee and Collier counties and runs from North Fort Myers and Cape Coral in Lee County to Naples and the Ten Thousand Islands in Collier. His district includes Fort Myers, Naples, Bonita Springs, Estero and the barrier islands along both counties.

What has Donalds done for Florida's 19th congressional district?

Donalds has made water quality issues his main focus.

Still in committee, the bipartisan Harmful Algal Bloom Essential Forecasting Act, would keep scientists on the lookout for potentially dangerous blooms even during government shutdowns.  A year later came the Protecting Communities from Harmful Algal Blooms Act, another bipartisan effort to support research on airborne algae toxins and make it easier for bloom-affected communities to get government help.

He’s also worked with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which is redoing the way it releases often polluted water from Lake Okeechobee to the Caloosahatchee River, “making sure that Southwest Florida's interests are recognized in the new release schedule,” Donalds said. “We've just scored some major wins for our area, which is going to help with water quality.”

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Why was Donalds nominated for Speaker of the House?

"There's an important reason for nominating Byron. And that is, this country needs a change," said Chip Roy, the Texas Republican who put Donalds' name in play and who voted for him in the first round of balloting on Tuesday. "This country needs leadership that does not reflect this city, this town, that is badly broken."

Donalds was one of several names floated to be Speaker of the House rather than Kevin McCarthy. It is unknown if these nominations are to keep McCarthy out completely or to wring concessions from McCarthy before he'll be allowed enough votes.

Byron Donalds would be the first Black Speaker of the House if his longshot bid were to succeed.

Was Byron Donalds arrested for possession?

When Donalds was 18, after a party at his apartment, he was arrested for possession of marijuana. Two years later, a female acquaintance convinced him he could make a thousand dollars by depositing a bad check. “I was desperate, I was out of money, I didn’t have a job, my rent was overdue."

Donalds has since made restitution to the bank for about seven times the original amount but the state pressed bribery charges in 2000. The charges were later expunged. The 1997 marijuana charge was dismissed as part of a pre-trial diversion program.

“My pastor always says that everybody in life is 15 seconds away from stupid," Donalds said, "but when you’re desperate, you’re three seconds away. And I was desperate.”

Donalds has been open about these arrests during his campaigns and has said they are a tale of sin and atonement that make him uniquely qualified to serve others.

Was Byron Donalds the target of a Florida Ethics Commission complaint?

In 2020 a complaint was filed alleging that Donalds did not disclose his previous arrests on several applications, including one to sell securities and a 2014 application to serve on the board of Florida SouthWestern State College. Donalds maintained that since the bribery charges were expunged that they no longer existed and he had no reason to disclose them.

After reviewing the complaint, the Florida Ethics Commission dismissed it, finding it lacked legal sufficiency.

Contributors: Amy Bennett Williams, The Fort Myers News-Press; Antonion Fins, The Palm Beach Post

C. A. Bridges is a Digital Producer for the USA TODAY Network, working with multiple newsrooms across Florida. Local journalists work hard to keep you informed about the things you care about, and you can support them by subscribing to your local news organization. Read more articles by Chris here and follow him on Twitter at @cabridges

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Byron Donalds, R-Naples, has been nominated for Speaker of the House