© 2026 WGCU News
PBS and NPR for Southwest Florida
Donate
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Byron Donalds Wins 19th US Congressional District Race

WGCU | By Andrea Perdomo
Published November 3, 2020 at 11:23 PM EST

The U.S House of Representatives 19th Congressional District has a new representative.

Republican Byron Donalds of Naples will be filling the seat vacated by Francis Rooney, who was elected in 2016.

Donalds was battling first-time politician Cindy Banyai, who watched election results from the Luminary Hotel in Fort Myers.

"Of course we were hoping for more, but listen, this is the best Democratic turnout we have ever seen in southwest Florida," Banyai said. "I’ve got the most amount of votes and the biggest percentage of the electorate than any other Democrat so that’s absolutely a positive thing in this heavily red district."

More than 442,000 people participated in the race. Donalds won 61.3% percent of the votes.
Tags
WGCU NewsElection 2020
Andrea Perdomo
Andrea Perdomo is a reporter for WGCU News. She started her career in public radio as an intern for the Miami-based NPR station, WLRN. Andrea graduated from Florida International University, where she was a contributing writer for the student-run newspaper, The Panther Press, and was also a member of the university's Society of Professional Journalists chapter.
See stories by Andrea Perdomo
Trusted by over 30,000 local subscribers

Local News, Right Sized for Your Morning

Quick briefs when you are busy, deeper explainers when it matters, delivered early morning and curated by WGCU editors.

  • Environment
  • Local politics
  • Health
  • And more

Free and local. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

More from WGCU
  • Environment
    Coping with Winter Cold
    Dr. Jerry Jackson
    Animals in south Florida don’t have to worry much about winter cold – and indeed many migrants from areas farther north find suitable living conditions here. But, a trip to the beach or on a rare blustery day sometimes makes one wonder. How do ducks, herons, egrets, and other birds tolerate wading or swimming in cold weather? Aquatic birds, for example, have bare skinny legs with leg muscles placed among insulating feathers.Blood vessels going to and from the very few muscles in the legs and feet lie right next to one another, and cold blood going back into the body is warmed by warmer blood coming from the body – and is nearly the same temperature as the blood circulating in the well-insulated body.
  • November 18, 2024, Jim Atterholt was sworn in to serve as vice mayor of Fort Myers Beach. Atterholt announced his retirement Friday.
    Government & Politics
    Jim Atterholt to retire from Fort Myers Beach Town Council
    WGCU Staff
    Jim Atterholt is retiring after swerving six years on the Fort Myers Beach Town Council, effective at the end of the year. First elected in March 2019, Atterholt's tenure included navigating the Town through the COVID-19 pandemic and multiple major storm events, including Hurricane Ian.
  • Arts & Culture
    The whimsical side of Sarasota art
    WGCU News, Tom Hall
    It hides in plain sight in Sarasota, but within the confines of the Marietta Museum of Art and Whimsy, lies a treasure trove of unique and quirky art.