Former Republican congressman David Jolly is making waves in Florida politics with his campaign for the Democratic nomination for governor. His recent appearance on “(We Don’t) Color On the Dog” podcast revealed a candidate focused squarely on the kitchen table issues affecting everyday Floridians.
A Political Evolution Rooted in Unchanging Values
Jolly’s journey from Bush 41 Republican to Democratic gubernatorial candidate isn’t about abandoning principles—it’s about staying true to them.
- “My values haven’t changed,” Jolly emphasized. “I think where politicians open themselves up to very fair criticism is where we see people change their values, and particularly in a transactional way.”
His critique of today’s Republican Party is pointed: “We used to be the party about less government and fiscal discipline. Now we’re exploding debts and we want politicians in your bedrooms, your classrooms and your doctor’s offices.”
Affordability Crisis
Rather than getting bogged down in culture war battles, Jolly focuses on Florida’s “affordability crisis.” He’s blunt: “The private property insurance market in Florida has collapsed. It’s not coming back. Republicans are lying when they say it is.”
He proposes “a state catastrophic fund to move hurricane coverage out of the private market” that could “drive down, in many cases, property insurance by 50 or 60%.”
Building a Coalition Beyond Party Lines: Jolly acknowledges a mathematical reality: “There aren’t enough Democratic voters in Florida to elect a Democratic governor on their own.”
- His strategy involves community engagement. When meeting with Black pastors in Orlando, he said, “I’m not here to ask for your political support. I’m here to ask that we start a relationship.”
- To gun owners, his message is nuanced: “We know gun owners aren’t the problem, but our gun laws are.”
- In agricultural communities, he addresses immigration honestly: “Your labor markets are tight because of the governor’s policies on immigration.”
A Different Kind of Campaign
Jolly refuses to let Republicans define the race around Trump or culture wars. “This race is not about Donald Trump,” he insists. Instead, he wants a simple choice: “Do you want change or more of the same?”
When Byron Donalds attacked him, Jolly noted, “Byron Donalds did not offer a single solution on the property insurance crisis, on real property tax reform or on why Republicans don’t want to invest in public education.”
His bottom line is clear: “How about we make this a Florida for everyone, for all people, focus on the affordability crisis for all people.”
- Whether this message resonates enough to overcome Republican advantages remains to be seen, but Jolly’s focus on solving real problems might upset the GOP playbook in 2026.
