David Jolly, a Trump critic, former GOP congressman, to run for governor as Democrat

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- A erstwhile Republican congressman and vocal professional of Donald Trump says helium wants to go politician successful the president’s adopted location authorities of Florida, and that he’s moving arsenic a Democrat.

David Jolly formally announced his bid Thursday, becoming the latest enactment person hoping to wrest backmost power of what had been the country’s premier plaything state that successful caller years has made a hard shift to the right. Under authorities law, term-limited Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis can’t tally for reelection successful 2026.

Even arsenic Florida serves arsenic a spot for the Trump medication to poach staff and test policies, Jolly says he’s assured that issues specified arsenic affordability, backing nationalist schools, and strengthening run concern and morals laws volition resonate with each voters successful 2026. He predicts elections adjacent twelvemonth volition herald nationwide change.

“I really deliberation Republicans successful Tallahassee person gone excessively acold successful dividing us. I deliberation we should get politicians retired of the classrooms, retired of the doctor’s offices,” Jolly said.

“I deliberation capable radical successful Florida, adjacent immoderate Republicans, present recognize that. That the civilization wars person gone excessively far,” helium said.

Jolly was archetypal elected to his Tampa Bay-area legislature spot during a 2014 peculiar election, and was reelected for 1 afloat term. The lawyer and erstwhile lobbyist underwent a governmental improvement that spurred him to permission the Republican Party successful 2018 to go an autarkic and past a registered Democrat. And helium has built a nationalist illustration for himself arsenic an anti-Trump governmental commentator connected MSNBC.

Jolly said helium has considered himself “part of the Democratic coalition” for 5 oregon truthful years, and believes successful what helium sees arsenic the party’s “fundamental values” — that authorities tin assistance people, that the system should beryllium “fair” to all, and that immigrants should beryllium celebrated.

“I struggled to workout those values successful the Republican Party,” Jolly said, continuing: “The existent registration arsenic a Democrat wasn’t a pivot. It was a benignant of a formality.”

Jolly has breached from his aged enactment connected immigration, arsenic Florida lawmakers contention to assistance Trump fulfill his promise of wide deportations. Jolly skewered Republicans who helium said person ”conflated migration and crime,” which helium described arsenic incorrect and immoral.

“If you were calved present oregon if you immigrated here, oregon if you’re a Tallahassee person who steals Medicaid money, we’re going to beryllium pugnacious connected crime,” Jolly added, referring to a probe into the use of Medicaid colony funds by a foundation associated with archetypal woman Casey DeSantis.

Jolly’s gubernatorial tally arsenic a Democrat draws comparisons to the failed bid of erstwhile Republican congressman-turned-independent-turned-Democrat Charlie Crist, who lost to DeSantis successful 2022 by 19 points. It was Crist, moving arsenic a Democrat, who ousted Jolly from his legislature spot successful 2016.

Jolly joined the Florida Democratic Party astatine what is arguably 1 of its astir susceptible points successful years. Florida presently has nary Democrats elected to statewide office, and determination are present 1.2 cardinal much registered Republicans than Democrats, according to the state’s progressive elector rolls. The GOP has made important inroads successful formerly Democratic strongholds successful the state, specified arsenic Miami-Dade County.

The time that Jolly announced his caller affiliation, the-then apical Democrat successful the Florida Senate, Jason Pizzo, revealed helium was leaving the party, declaring that “the Democratic Party successful Florida is dead.” Pizzo, a erstwhile prosecutor, has said he’ll motorboat his ain tally for politician arsenic a campaigner with nary enactment affiliation.

On the Republican side, Jolly volition look Trump-backed Rep. Byron Donalds, who is besides a predominant beingness connected cablegram quality arsenic a surrogate for the president. Among the different names floated arsenic imaginable GOP candidates are erstwhile Rep. Matt Gaetz and Casey DeSantis.

___ Kate Payne is simply a corps subordinate for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is simply a nonprofit nationalist work programme that places journalists successful section newsrooms to study connected undercovered issues.