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3mo ago

Former Republican David Jolly Launches Democratic Bid for Florida Governor

His entry represents a rare Democratic challenge to Republican rule in a state where GOP registrations exceed Democrats by more than a million voters

FILE - In this Oct. 20, 2015 photo, then-U.S. Rep. David Jolly speaks to media after showing up at a news conference for former Florida Gov. Charlie Crist in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara, file)
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Overview

  • David Jolly served Florida’s 13th district as a Republican from 2014 to 2017 before leaving the GOP in 2018 and registering as a Democrat this spring.
  • He announced his campaign on June 5 with a platform targeting Florida’s affordability crisis, boosting public education funding and enacting new gun safety reforms.
  • Jolly is crisscrossing the state in town halls to forge a coalition of independents and disaffected Republicans around his issue-driven message.
  • Florida has not elected a Democratic governor since 1999 and faces a GOP voter registration lead of over one million.
  • On the Republican side, Rep. Byron Donalds holds President Trump’s endorsement and fundraising edge, while former state Sen. Jason Pizzo is weighing an independent run.