Former Republican Representative David Jolly, who has since switched his allegiance to the Democratic Party, is contemplating a run for governor in Florida, a move that has drawn sharp criticism from the Florida GOP.
Jolly, who has been mulling over the idea of a gubernatorial bid, is expected to announce his decision this week. "I expect a decision this week," Jolly stated recently. "I'll make a final decision and make it public this week."
Jolly's political journey has been marked by a series of party switches. He served as a Republican in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2014 to 2017, before declaring himself an independent in 2018. In April of this year, he officially registered as a Democrat and is now contemplating a gubernatorial run under the Democratic banner.
Florida GOP Chairman Evan Power, in a statement regarding Jolly's potential gubernatorial bid, expressed confidence that Floridians would not be swayed by Jolly's political flip-flopping. "No matter the issue, David Jolly has been on all sides of it," Power said. "Under Republican leadership, Florida enjoys low inflation, fiscal responsibility, and a thriving economy. School choice and parental rights are prioritized, and support for the rule of law is unmatched. We aren't going backward with a flip-flopping political relic," he continued.
Power further criticized Jolly, stating, "David Jolly has lost before, and he will lose again. Floridians won't trust a slick opportunist who simply can't be trusted. Jolly has no platform, no base, and no chance in Florida."
According to Breitbart, the GOP press release also emphasized that Florida now has 1.3 million more registered Republicans than Democrats, a trend that officially began in November 2021. The Republican lead has only continued to grow, reaching a 680,030 voter advantage as of October 31, 2023.
In August 2024, months before the crucial 2024 election, officials announced that Republicans had a one million registered voter advantage over Democrats in Florida. This shift in political allegiance is not confined to statewide statistics. Even traditionally Democratic strongholds like Miami-Dade have seen a shift towards the Republican Party.
Breitbart News reported on May 20 that Miami-Dade had officially turned red, with registered Republicans outnumbering Democrats in the county. "Miami-Dade just flipped RED. From Rubio to DeSantis to Trump, this victory is a testament to the strength of Republican leadership and grassroots power," the Florida GOP celebrated in a social media post.
The question remains as to how Jolly, if he chooses to run, will navigate the significant political shift in south Florida, a region upon which Democrats have traditionally relied heavily. "In many ways the governorship runs through Broward County. If we have (robust) turnout numbers among Broward Democrats but also among Black voters here in Broward and in South Florida, we win the governorship," Jolly said, according to Yahoo News.
Jolly believes that a coalition is emerging that could potentially win statewide in 2026, but acknowledges the need to persuade voters who may not have previously supported the Democrats.
"And so I think what you're seeing here is a coalition emerging that realizes we can win statewide in '26, but we've got to do our work to turn voters out and to persuade voters who maybe haven't been with us before to be with us," he added.
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