Can a Former Republican Rebuild Florida's Democratic Hopes?

David Jolly, a former Republican congressman turned Democrat, is mounting an unlikely campaign for Florida governor, betting that the state's battleground days are not over. During a recent swing through central Florida, he addressed skeptical voters, including 71-year-old Cyn Doyle, who pressed him on whether he would become another contrarian Democrat like Senator John Fetterman. Jolly responded that his core values—an economy that works, a government that helps, and protection for all—would guide his service.

Jolly's itinerary reflects his strategy: a chandeliered ballroom in The Villages, a senior community clubhouse in Leesburg, and a Democratic gathering in Hillsborough County. He is trying to convince Democrats that Florida, which has voted for Donald Trump three times and gave Governor Ron DeSantis a 19-point victory in 2022, can be competitive again.

The path is steep. His likely Republican opponent, Representative Byron Donalds, has raised over $100 million compared to Jolly's $10 million. Donalds has cast Jolly as a liberal, highlighting his support for gender-affirming care and LGBTQ-friendly crosswalks. Jolly, meanwhile, says Donalds is ignoring economic issues. On transgender sports, Jolly said he doesn't believe governors should decide who plays, though he added he doesn't think biologically born men should play in competitive women's sports.

Some Republicans acknowledge fatigue with the culture wars. Karen Kuhn, a 72-year-old Villages resident, described herself as in "despair." Democrats have also won recent special elections, and former GOP Representative Carlos Curbelo sees a potential path for a competitive race, citing Latino voters' possible disillusionment with immigration enforcement.

Jolly is courting national Democrats, arguing that winning Florida would reshape the national political map. State Representative Emily Gregory, who flipped a Palm Beach district, said abandoning Florida was "deeply unwise." However, Democratic Governors Association chair Andy Beshear is only "watching closely" and hasn't committed funds.

Jolly's background is unusual. He won a Tampa Bay congressional seat as a Republican in 2014, left the party in 2018, and registered as a Democrat in 2025. Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings, a former rival, said the challenge is convincing people Jolly isn't a "chameleon." Others, like Villages resident Sylvia Rieger, see his evolution as "moxie." Jolly has picked former Representative Gwen Graham as his running mate and has support from progressives like Representative Maxwell Frost. Whether his poly-party history is an asset or a liability will be tested in November.