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MS NOW host suggests Byron Donalds’ not true ‘kinfolk’ after historic Florida gubernatorial victory
MS NOW host Symone Sanders Townsend questioned the political significance of Byron Donalds’ historic Florida gubernatorial victory, saying his policies sounded similar to those of outgoing Governor Ron DeSantis. She used the phrase “all kinfolk ain’t skinfolk” while discussing Donalds, which drew criticism that her remarks implied Black conservatives are less connected to other Black Americans.
Sanders Townsend acknowledged that Donalds would be the first Black governor elected in Florida. He narrowly defeated Democrat David Jolly and will succeed term-limited DeSantis; the article describes the win as a rare Republican bright spot amid Democratic gains elsewhere. Media Research Center analyst Tim Graham said the comments amounted to a racial test of political loyalty, while Donalds was not immediately available to comment.
In short
- Byron Donalds won Florida’s governor’s race.
- Symone Sanders Townsend questioned the policy significance of his victory.
- A media analyst said her remarks implied political conformity.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Sanders Townsend’s point can be understood as a critique of political representation that goes beyond a candidate’s identity: Donalds’ historic election would not necessarily bring different outcomes if his policies closely resemble DeSantis’s. The phrase may have been intended to question whether shared racial identity alone signals shared interests, rather than to deny Donalds’ identity or achievement.
The case against
The remark can reasonably be heard as implying that a Black politician who supports conservative policies is less authentically connected to Black Americans. That risks turning political disagreement into a test of racial loyalty and diminishing the significance of Florida electing its first Black governor, regardless of whether Donalds’ policies differ from his predecessor’s.
Explained simply
Florida governors can serve only two consecutive terms, so Ron DeSantis is due to leave office and Byron Donalds is set to take his place after defeating Democrat David Jolly. Donalds would be the state’s first Black governor.
Donalds is a Republican, and his policies have been compared with DeSantis’s. The dispute centres on whether his race and political views should be considered together when assessing what his victory means.
The phrase “all kinfolk ain’t skinfolk” suggests that shared racial identity does not always mean shared loyalties or views. Its use prompted criticism that it questioned Donalds’s connection to other Black Americans; media analyst Tim Graham described the remarks as a test of political loyalty.