TALLAHASSEE, Fla — Florida hasn’t elected a Democratic governor in over 25 years, but former Republican congressman David Jolly believes he can change that.
On Thursday, Jolly officially announced his candidacy for governor — this time as a Democrat — vowing to tackle what he calls a “generational affordability crisis” affecting everyday Floridians.
Watch full report from Forrest Saunders
“This campaign is going to look and feel different than I think Floridians have seen in probably 30 years,” said Jolly. “I did a town hall in Zephyrhills, and a man stood up and said the last time a Democrat was in this hall, it was Lawton Chiles. That's the campaign we have to run this cycle, and that's how we win.”
From GOP Congressman to Democratic Challenger
Jolly, who represented Florida’s 13th Congressional District as a Republican from 2014 to 2017, changed party affiliation earlier this year, registering as a Democrat in April. He says his political journey has been gradual and intentional, not a convenience-based switch.
“David Jolly has changed over the course of 10 years,” he said. “I left the Republican Party by choice. As I served as a Republican in a Democratic district, I was already supporting marriage equality, gun control, climate science, campaign finance reform — but I continued to grow from there.”
Jolly said there’s a clear distinction between himself and Charlie Crist, another former Republican who ran as a Democrat in 2022 and lost to Gov. Ron DeSantis by nearly 20 points.
“With all due respect to Charlie, his journey took about 10 months. It was all about running for office. It was transactional,” Jolly said.
Affordability at the Forefront
At the heart of Jolly’s platform is property insurance reform. Florida has seen steep increases in premiums in recent years, and Jolly says the state needs to take drastic action.
“If we have a state catastrophic fund in Florida to remove hurricane coverage from the private market, we will reduce property insurance for families by 60%,” he said. “The private market for property insurance has failed.”
Florida Republicans approved major tort reform in 2023. They said cutting access to “frivolous” lawsuits would stabilize the market. Since then, Gov. Ron DeSantis and his administration have touted data showing new carriers are entering Florida, rate increases are flatter, and some are even decreasing.
Jolly thinks things could be much better.
“It’s still three times more than it was 10 years ago, way past the rate of inflation,” Jolly said. “Our next natural disaster will send carriers out. People will continue to be canceled.”
The candidate also said he supports restoring abortion protections under Roe v. Wade, tightening gun laws, and reinvesting in public schools instead of expanding voucher programs.
GOP Response and the Road Ahead
Jolly’s most prominent Republican rival so far is Congressman Byron Donalds, who has already secured the endorsement of former President Donald Trump. Donalds questioned Jolly’s authenticity and consistency.
“What are David Jolly’s positions going to be? Nobody really knows,” Donalds said. “Was it the ones when you were a member of Congress in Pinellas County? Or is it now?”
“My policies, and my viewpoints have been consistent from the time I got into politics,” Donalds added. “They’re not changing. This race is not going to change them.”
Donalds and Jolly are currently the highest-profile candidates in their respective primary races, though more contenders are expected to emerge.
Independent State Senator Jason Pizzo has already said he’s jumping in as well.
Jolly is under no illusion that winning won’t be easy. But he believes the moment is ripe for change, especially if he can capture support from independents and moderate Republicans.
“I believe in this moment that we can do it,” Jolly said. “It’s not every cycle. It truly hasn’t been every cycle. This cycle, I believe we can do it.”
Off-camera, Jolly said his near-term goal is to build momentum by the end of the year, raising money and polling within single digits of his opponents. If that happens, he expects national Democratic support to follow.
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