Spotlight: David Jolly, Democratic candidate for Florida governor

SpotlightElections

Oct 20

Spotlight · Truth & Fair. FMNN Spotlights are straight news profiles. FMNN's editorial endorsement in this race is here.

Who he is

David Jolly is an attorney and fifth-generation Floridian who represented Florida's 13th District in Congress as a Republican from 2014 to 2017. He left the party largely over Donald Trump, spent several years as an independent, then registered as a Democrat and entered the governor's race in June 2025. He won the Democratic nomination handily on Aug. 18, 2026.

His running mate

In June, Jolly picked former Congresswoman Gwen Graham, the first lieutenant-governor pick announced by a major candidate in the race. Graham represented Florida's 2nd District, ran for governor herself in 2018 (losing the Democratic primary to Andrew Gillum), and is the daughter of the late Bob Graham. Jolly said he considered six candidates before choosing her.

What he's promising

Property insurance: a state catastrophic fund to bring premiums down, modeled on legislation he filed in Congress. In 2025 he claimed it could cut costs by as much as 60% for homes and businesses.
Property taxes: a broad reform package that keeps Save Our Homes' 3% cap and adds major relief for first-time buyers, while protecting funding for schools and public safety.
Schools: more money for public schools, competitive teacher pay, and service requirements for voucher-funded private schools.
Health care: Medicaid expansion and broader access to primary care; restoring reproductive freedom.
Other: a statewide moratorium on AI data centers and new gun-safety measures.

Where he's taken heat

No debates. On Sept. 20, Jolly declined all general-election debates, citing what he called Donalds' repeated lies and bad faith. FAMU canceled its planned debate, and if none happens, it would be Florida's first governor's race in more than 50 years without one. Editorial boards criticized the decision, and the state GOP chairman has dubbed him "Dodgy Dave." Jolly's campaign says it accepted debates Donalds turned down before Donalds announced his own lineup — and points out Donalds skipped his own primary debates.
The insurance fund's price tag. Donalds, citing PolitiFact and a Florida State University study, says the fund could leave every policyholder on the hook for new charges if money runs short. Jolly calls that claim a lie. How the fund would be capitalized is the fairest open question about his central plan.
The party switch. Republicans have compared him to Charlie Crist, and the state GOP says he's been on all sides of every issue. Jolly says the party left him.

Money and polls

Jolly has raised about $6.3 million, a fraction of Donalds' total, though he has drawn more in state public financing in recent weeks. He trails in most polls, by anywhere from a tie to 11 points. The Cook Political Report moved the race from Solid to Likely Republican in August, citing Jolly's appeal to independents and disaffected Republicans.

Bottom line

Jolly is running a focused, kitchen-table campaign on insurance, housing and schools. His biggest weaknesses are a steep money gap and his decision to skip the debate stage.

See also: Spotlight: Byron Donalds.

Sources

Photo: David Jolly at Brigham Young University, 2018, by Ben P L, CC BY-SA 2.0, cropped.

Governor 2026David Jolly

Joseph Jackson