Former Republican congressman-turned-Democrat launches bid for governor in push to flip red-state Florida

Democrats in Florida face an uphill ascent arsenic they enactment to triumph the governor's bureau successful adjacent year's elections.

It's been much than 3 decades since a Democrat won a gubernatorial predetermination successful the Sunshine State. You person to spell each the mode backmost to Democrat Gov. Lawton Chiles' 1994 re-election.

But erstwhile Rep. David Jolly, erstwhile asked however the Democrats could extremity their losing streak, told Fox News Digital, "It's been adjacent longer since we had an affordability situation similar we're experiencing close now. That's how."

Jolly, who, arsenic a Republican a decennary ago, won predetermination and re-election to Congress, connected Thursday announced his Democrat candidacy for politician successful the 2026 contention to win term-limited GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis.

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Former Republican Rep. David Jolly (Getty Images)

"We person an affordability situation successful Florida driven by an security situation that continues to worsen successful the look of implicit neglect by Tallahassee. We person abandoned nationalist education, and we’ve allowed corruption to tally rampant. It’s clip for a change," Jolly said successful a statement.

And successful his Fox News interview, Jolly argued that the state's affordability situation has "largely been caused by Republican neglect that I don't judge Republicans volition code and that our run will."

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Jolly, who near the Republican Party 7 years agone and became an autarkic and a cablegram quality governmental expert connected MSNBC, pointed to the GOP's elector registration vantage successful Florida.

"Let's beryllium honorable astir the math," helium said. "There aren't capable Democratic votes successful Florida for a Democratic politician to conscionable triumph with their ain party. We person to physique a conjugation that includes independents and commonsense Republicans. But here's the bully news, it's already there."

Former Republican Rep. David Jolly of Florida, who is present moving for Florida politician successful 2026 arsenic a Democrat, holds a municipality hallway successful Coral Gables, Florida connected May 25, 2025. (David Jolly campaign)

Jolly, pointing to the caller municipality halls he's been holding up of his run launch, said, "Republicans are turning out. Independents are coming out. There's a cleanable tempest for bequest Republicans close now. We person an affordability situation successful Florida that's hitting each family, each voter, each locomotion of life, and it doesn't attraction what your partisan affiliation is, Republican, Democrat oregon independent."

"This is simply a contention overmuch similar you've seen with Andy Beshear successful Kentucky and Steve Bullock successful Montana, a conjugation for alteration tin triumph adjacent November. But that conjugation is going to person to beryllium led by today's Democratic Party," helium added.

The mentions of GOP-dominated Kentucky's existent Democrat politician and red-state Montana's erstwhile Democrat politician were intentional. Jolly precocious hired arsenic an advisor Democrat governmental strategist Eric Hyers, who helped steer Beshear and Bullock's palmy campaigns.

Four years ago, erstwhile politician and erstwhile Rep. Charlie Crist, different Republican-turned-Democrat, was trounced by DeSantis arsenic the blimpish politician cruised to re-election by 19 points.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Jolly highlighted that Crist (who defeated Jolly arsenic the then-congressman ran for re-election successful 2016) rapidly transitioned from Republican to Democrat.

"It was transactional for moving for office. He would ever say, 'I didn't permission the party. The enactment near me,'" Jolly noted.

"David Jolley near the party," helium said. "I've grown. I've changed."

"Over the past 10 years, my values haven't changed," Jolly said. "This is precise important. When I was a Republican successful Congress, I supported matrimony equality, weapon control, clime change, run concern reform. Republicans didn't privation me. Democrats didn't request me, but those values were already determination then. I americium a idiosyncratic of heavy faith. I grew up a preacher's kid successful a Christian church. I beryllium to a Christian religion today."

But Florida Republicans foretell Jolly volition go the latest successful a enactment of defeated Democrat gubernatorial candidates.

"It’s bully to cognize Never Trumper and failed MSNBC expert has recovered his existent location successful the irrelevant @FlaDems," Republican Party of Florida Chair Evan Power said aft Jolly joined the Democratic Party. "I invited him to tally for Governor, the astir 40% of the electorate that voted for @CharlieCrist merit an arsenic atrocious prime this cycle."

Making the Democrats' ascent to triumph backmost the governor's bureau adjacent twelvemonth adjacent steeper is past month's announcement by authorities Sen. Jason Pizzo, the erstwhile authorities Senate Democrat leader, to tally for politician arsenic an independent. Weeks earlier, Pizzo argued the Florida Democratic Party was "dead."

"I person tremendous respect for Jason Pizzo. He followed his governmental conviction, conscionable arsenic I did. I disagree with his decision," Jolly said.

But Jolly besides said, "Jason was close erstwhile helium said you've got millions of disaffected autarkic voters" and added that "my occupation arsenic the Democratic candidate, and possibly the Democratic nominee, is to physique a conjugation that says [to] those autarkic voters, ‘We privation you successful this coalition.’"

Republican Rep. Byron Donalds of Florida is interviewed by Fox News Digital up of his 2026 run kickoff for politician successful Bonita Springs, Fla., connected March 28, 2025. (Fox News - Paul Steinhauser)

In the contention for the Republican gubernatorial primary, Rep. Byron Donalds appears to beryllium connected an aboriginal glide way to the information arsenic speculation of a imaginable bid by archetypal woman Casey DeSantis cools.

Donalds enjoys the enactment and endorsement of Florida's astir celebrated resident: President Donald Trump.

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"This contention is not astir Donald Trump. You'll ne'er perceive maine speech astir Donald Trump. It's astir the affordability situation and however Republicans successful Tallahassee person created it," Jolly said.

But Jolly argued that "Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis are the scene-setters for an earthquake-of-a-change predetermination situation successful the authorities of Florida, due to the fact that if voters successful Florida are demanding change, I'm not definite they could look astatine Trump's endorsed campaigner successful Byron Donalds and spot change. If it's Casey DeSantis, you're not seeing change. You're seeing the 3rd word of Ron DeSantis."