Democrat David Jolly seeks Florida governorship

David Jolly, a former Republican congressman from Pinellas County, is running for governor of Florida as a Democrat in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election.

Jolly won the Democratic primary on Aug. 18, according to NBC News. He faces Republican Byron Donalds, along with Charles Burkett, Dean Ocean Abrams, Frank Russo, Jeffrey Peter Datto and Moliere Dimanche, all running with no party preference, and Libertarian Scott Jewett, according to BallotReady election data.

Candidate information

Party: Democratic
Born: Oct. 31, 1972, in Dunedin, Florida; grew up in Dade City, Florida
Residence: Pinellas County, where he lives with his wife Laura and their young family, according to his campaign website
Education: Bachelor's degree from Emory University (1994); juris doctor from George Mason University (2001), according to BallotReady
Family background: Jolly describes himself as a fifth-generation Floridian and the son of a Baptist minister, Lawson Jolly, according to his campaign website

Experience and public service

Jolly served as staff and general counsel in the office of U.S. Rep. Bill Young of Florida's 13th Congressional District from 1995 to 2006, according to Wikipedia. He worked as a lobbyist at Van Scoyoc Associates from 2007 to 2011, according to Wikipedia. He founded Three Bridges Advisors in 2011, according to BallotReady.

He represented Florida's 13th Congressional District in the U.S. House from 2014 to 2017 as a Republican. His campaign website says his fight to take on Washington corruption and campaign finance reform was featured on CBS' "60 Minutes" while he was in Congress.

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

His running mate is former Democratic congresswoman Gwen Graham, who represented Florida's 2nd Congressional District, according to Wikipedia. Jolly also worked as a political analyst at NBC and MSNBC, according to his campaign website.

On the issues

The following positions are drawn from Jolly's campaign website and reflect the candidate's stated views.

Education: Jolly said he proposed a 10-year plan to revitalize public education, including increasing teacher pay by 30 percent so salaries are closer to the national average. He said private schools accepting vouchers should cap tuition inflation for those students, provide the same specialized services public schools offer and that the voucher program should be means-tested.

Housing and insurance: Jolly said a state catastrophic fund that removes natural disaster perils from the private market would reduce property and car insurance rates. He said allowing condominium associations access to a no-interest state-backed loan program would address the financial burden of generational condominium repairs.

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

Healthcare: Jolly said Florida should expand Medicaid, calling it a critical program that supports childbirth care, long-term care for seniors, care for those with special needs and unique abilities, and hospital funding statewide.

Government reform: Jolly said he would reopen the Hope Florida investigation if elected, according to Sparker's Soapbox. He called for campaign finance reform and stronger ethics rules in Tallahassee.