David Jolly seeks Florida governor's office as a Democrat

David Jolly, a former Republican congressman from Pinellas County, is running for Florida governor as a Democrat in the Nov. 3 general election.

Jolly won the Democratic primary on Aug. 18 and will face Republican Byron Donalds, according to NBC News.

Six other candidates are also on the ballot: Charles Burkett, Dean Ocean Abrams, Frank Russo, Jeffrey Peter Datto, Moliere Dimanche (all No Party Preference) and Scott Jewett (Libertarian), according to Sparker's Soapbox and BallotReady election data.

Candidate information

Party: Democratic
Born: Oct. 31, 1972, in Dunedin, Florida; grew up in Dade City
Family: Jolly says he is a fifth-generation Floridian and the son of Baptist minister Lawson Jolly. He and his wife Laura live in Pinellas County, according to his campaign website.
Education: Bachelor's degree from Emory University (1994); juris doctor from George Mason University (2001), according to BallotReady
Running mate: Former Democratic congresswoman Gwen Graham, who represented Florida's 2nd Congressional District, according to Wikipedia

Experience and public service

Jolly served as staff and general counsel for U.S. Rep. Bill Young of Florida's 13th Congressional District from 1995 to 2006, according to Wikipedia. He then worked as a lobbyist at Van Scoyoc Associates and founded Three Bridges Advisors, according to BallotReady.

He represented Florida's 13th Congressional District in Congress from 2014 to 2017 as a Republican. Jolly says his work on campaign finance reform was featured on CBS' "60 Minutes" during that time, according to his campaign website. He also worked as a political analyst at NBC and MSNBC, according to his campaign website.

Jolly left the Republican Party in September 2018, co-founded the Forward Party in 2022 and registered as a Democrat in April 2025, according to Wikipedia. He launched his gubernatorial bid in June 2025.

On the issues

The following positions are stated by the candidate through his campaign website, BallotReady candidate questionnaire responses and his Wikipedia page.

Housing and insurance: Jolly says the property insurance crisis is the primary reason many Floridians struggle to afford a home. He proposes a state catastrophic fund that would remove natural disaster perils from the private market, which he says would reduce property and car insurance rates. He also supports a no-interest state-backed loan program for condominium associations facing costly repairs.

Environment and coastal resilience: Jolly says Florida should accept the science of climate change, protect beaches and state parks, and invest in resiliency statewide. He calls for greater integration of clean energy technologies into public utilities.

Education: Jolly proposes a 10-year plan to revitalize public education, including increasing teacher pay by 30 percent. He says the state voucher program should be means-tested and that private schools accepting vouchers should cap tuition inflation. He also says qualified Florida students should have preferred application status at the state's flagship universities.

Healthcare: Jolly says Florida should expand Medicaid, calling it a critical program that supports childbirth care, long-term care for seniors and hospital funding statewide.

Personal liberty: On LGBTQ+ rights and government regulation of personal decisions, Jolly says: "I simply subscribe to the old-school Republican position that government should stay out of your life, out of your doctor's office, and out of your bedroom."