Florida governor-elect Byron Donalds seen hanging out with Fever star Sophie Cunningham at NASCAR race

Now that the dust has settled with the midterm elections in the rearview, it’s safe to say Republicans took it on the chin.

Democrats made massive gains in both the House and Senate, and the GOP was left licking its wounds heading into a crucial 2028 election cycle.

Not all seems lost for conservatives though, particularly in the great state of Florida, where Ron DeSantis’ successor Byron Donalds warded off David Jolly to keep the governor’s office in Tallahassee red for at least the next four years.

FLORIDA GOV-ELECT DONALDS BELIEVES ‘FRUSTRATIONS BOILED OVER’ AGAINST REPUBLICANS ON ELECTION DAY

Rep. Byron Donalds, a Republican from Florida and gubernatorial candidate, won Florida’s Republican primary for governor on Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2026, in Orlando, Fla., easily fending off challengers after receiving an early endorsement from President Donald Trump. (Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Donalds ran a hell of a campaign, and after doing his part to keep my home state red, I’d say Florida’s newest governor has deserved to take a bit of a victory lap, with “lap” being the operative word.

The governor-elect was out and about at the Homestead-Miami Speedway in South Florida for Sunday’s big NASCAR race, taking part in some much-needed rest and relaxation following a stressful campaign.

While taking in the sights and sounds on race day, Donalds and his family ran into a familiar face and decided to pose for a photo op.

That’s a lot of star power in one Instagram post.

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The Indiana Fever star has drummed up plenty of controversy in recent months, going against the grain of her fellow WNBA colleagues with her seemingly conservative stances on things like trans men in women’s sports.

Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham celebrates a made shot in the first half against the Toronto Tempo at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind., on June 16, 2026. (IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)

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The photo op can’t just be a coincidence of two “important people” posing together for the ‘Gram, and Donalds’ caption seems to confirm a lot of the suspicions that Cunningham isn’t just another left wing mouthpiece like some of the other players in her league.

“Keep speaking up, Sophie. The truth ALWAYS wins in the end,” Donalds said, likely referring to Cunningham’s comments on trans athletes.

SOPHIE CUNNINGHAM SPARKS SOCIAL MEDIA MELTDOWN BY SPEAKING OUT TO PROTECT WOMEN’S SPORTS

Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham looks on against the Minnesota Lynx in the second half at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minn., on Sept. 24, 2026. (IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)

Cunningham was recently criticized for sharing Andy Frisella’s message emphasizing self-improvement over faith in elections on Instagram following the midterms.

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This certainly won’t help her standing with the libs, but I would venture a guess Sophie doesn’t give much of a damn.