Let Florida Be Jolly: FMNN Endorses David Jolly and Gwen Graham

OpinionElections

Oct 20

This is an FMNN editorial endorsement. Every factual claim in it is sourced below.

Florida hasn't elected a Democratic ticket for governor in more than 25 years. For most of that time, the people running Tallahassee have told us we live in the envy of the nation. Then the insurance renewal shows up in the mailbox.

That bill — the homeowner's premium, the condo assessment, the rent hike your landlord passes down from their own premium — is what this election is about. David Jolly has put it at the center of his campaign since the day he got in. Byron Donalds has leaned on national talking points, endorsements from Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis, and attack ads that independent fact-checkers say don't hold up.

The Florida Man News Network endorses David Jolly for governor and Gwen Graham for lieutenant governor.

Why Jolly

He names the problem and puts a plan on paper. Jolly blames a failed property insurance market for driving up housing costs, and his first step is a state catastrophic fund modeled on one he filed in Congress. How to fund it is a fair fight — and voters should have it — but it's a plan you can read, not a slogan.
Public schools come first. He'd invest more in public schools and push teacher pay to competitive levels, and he'd expect private schools taking voucher dollars to provide comparable services without charging families extra tuition.
Health care and cost of living. He supports expanding Medicaid, and he's called for a statewide moratorium on AI data centers — the same industry whose supporters have given more than $5 million to his opponent's campaign.
Property tax reform that doesn't gut services. Jolly wants to keep Save Our Homes and give real relief to first-time buyers, without cutting the revenue that pays for schools, police and roads.
He's from here. Jolly represented Pinellas County's 13th District in Congress from 2014 to 2017. He's a fifth-generation Floridian who has spent this campaign in town halls in every corner of the state.

Why Graham

Jolly said he wanted a running mate who could be governor, not just fill the lieutenant governor's chair. Gwen Graham fits: a former congresswoman from Florida's 2nd District, a longtime public-schools advocate, and the daughter of the late Gov. and Sen. Bob Graham. She and Jolly served in Congress together from opposite parties. That's what bipartisanship looks like when it's real.

Why not Donalds

Our spotlight lays out the record. In short: his federal financial disclosures had to be corrected for every year he's served in Congress after a reporter found the gaps; charter schools his wife helped launch sent tens of millions in public money to firms tied to her; and fact-checkers have flagged his central tax attack as something a governor couldn't control. A $146 million war chest, mostly from a political committee, doesn't change any of that.

What we're not ignoring

Jolly declined every general-election debate. We think that was a mistake. Voters deserve to see both candidates on one stage, and "he's a liar" is a reason to debate him, not to skip it. It's true Donalds skipped his own primary debates and set his debate terms by press release — but two wrongs don't give voters a debate.

Jolly also changed parties. He left the GOP over Donald Trump, spent years as an independent, and has run on the same affordability message from start to finish. We take him at his word.

Where the race stands

Donalds leads most polls — the RealClearPolitics average has him up 5 — but one October poll had it tied and others are within the margin of error. This one comes down to turnout. Read our David Jolly spotlight for the full record on both sides.

How to vote

Mail ballot requests: due Thursday, Oct. 22, at 5 p.m.
Early voting: statewide Oct. 24–31 (some counties opened earlier — check your Supervisor of Elections).
Election Day: Tuesday, Nov. 3.

Let Florida be Jolly.

This endorsement joins FMNN's 2026 picks: Angie Nixon (U.S. Senate), Mark Davis (FL-16), Ken Welch (St. Pete mayor) and Dr. Linsey Grove (St. Pete City Council, District 6).

Sources

Photos: David Jolly by Ben P L, CC BY-SA 2.0, cropped; Gwen Graham, official U.S. House portrait (public domain).

EndorsementsGovernor 2026David Jolly

Joseph Jackson