Republican Rep. Byron Donalds won Florida’s Republican primary for governor and, days later, announced his running mate: state Sen. Bryan Avila of Hialeah.

Avila represents District 39 in the Florida Senate, which covers parts of western and northwestern Miami-Dade, including Hialeah, Hialeah Gardens and Miami Lakes.

Before his election to the Senate in 2022, Avila served eight years in the Florida House of Representatives, where he rose to Speaker Pro Tempore, a leadership role that allowed him to preside over House sessions in the speaker’s absence.

In the Senate, Avila has chaired the Finance and Tax Committee and served as vice chair of the Transportation Committee.

In 2026, Avila sponsored bills dealing with property insurance (SB 832), data centers (SB 484), and technology education and artificial intelligence (SB 1694), among other issues.

More recently, Avila played a key role in a proposal (SJR 2-F, HJR 1-F) aimed at cutting property taxes for Florida homeowners. The measure would exempt up to $250,000 of a primary home’s value from certain local property taxes, without affecting taxes that fund schools.

Florida voters will decide in November whether to approve the constitutional change.

Avila’s selection as Donalds’ running mate follows months of involvement in his campaign. Since September 2025, Avila has served as a co-chair of Veterans for Byron, a coalition formed to rally veteran support for Donalds’ campaign for governor.

In May 2026, Avila also joined Donalds in Hialeah for the launch of Latinos for Byron, a campaign effort aimed at Hispanic voters.

Avila is married to Cindy Gil, and they have two children.