The Hard Rock owners partnered with Ron DeSantis on a Gaming Compact, but are placing a 2026 bet on the Naples Republican.
The Seminole Tribe of Florida has donated $1 million to Byron Donalds’ gubernatorial campaign, pushing its chips in for 2026.
The Friends of Byron Donalds political committee reported a $1 million contribution from the organization in its disclosures. That’s part of almost $22.6 million the committee has raised since its formation in February. The check represents the largest donation to Donalds’ campaign so far in August, when the committee raised more than $1.75 million
But the seven-figure donation also holds additional significance considering the state’s most famous indigenous group has long stood as one of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ critical supporters.
The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood hosted the Sunshine Summit in 2022, where DeSantis held debates for congressional candidates in critical battlegrounds, for example. That year, the Seminole Tribe donated $2 million to the Friends of Ron DeSantis committee, which supported the Governor’s re-election campaign.
And of course, DeSantis in 2021 signed the long-debated and negotiated gambling compact with the Tribe, and defended the deal even as President Joe Biden’s administration questioned its legality.
But the Tribe, it appears, has already placed its bets on Donalds even if First Lady Casey DeSantis or Lt. Gov. Jay Collins rolls the dice on a run for Governor in 2026. Both have been discussed as potential spiritual successors to Ron DeSantis.
The contribution is one of the largest donations to Donalds’ campaign to date. The largest check cashed by the campaign remains one for $5 million from investment manager Jeff Yass in March. U-Line founder Richard Uihlein has given $2 million in two installments, while billionaire Thomas Peterffy donated $1 million in May.
Meanwhile, the political committee has kept spending relatively low so far. As of Aug. 27, the campaign still holds more than $21.1 million in cash.
The committee has been the chief fundraising operation, but Donalds’ official candidate account has also raised more than $1.8 million, and closed June with more than $1 million in the bank as well.
Post Views: 0