HOLLYWOOD - Channeling former President Barack Obama on the campaign trail, Democrat-turned-Republican David Jolly emphasized "change" in his pitch to Florida voters, particularly those affected by the state's affordability crisis in his bid for governor.
"What I do know is we are in the midst of a national change environment, and we're in the midst of a state affordability crisis, and there's been one party in charge for the past 20 plus years, and if they had an answer to the affordability crisis, they would have provided it," Jolly told The Floridian. "The affordability crisis hits every community, every walk of life, and every voter registration."
Jolly, a Florida Republican congressman from 2014 to 2017, launched his bid for governor in June. He is looking to become the first Democratic governor in Florida since early 1999.
"This is not a transactional move to run for office, but I talk about my journey authentically," Jolly said. "Change is part of my life, it's part of my politics, and I think a lot of people have changed. Folks who changed the most, arguably, are elected Republicans."
Pitching his message to Democrats at the Leadership Blue Gala at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Jolly stressed growing the party's coalition by focusing on Florida's affordability. He also said it's an issue that U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds, his Republican gubernatorial opponent, does not want to address.
Republicans outnumber Democrats in voter registrations in Florida by over 1.3 million. Along with the tilt, Rep. Donalds was endorsed by President Donald Trump for governor in February.
President Trump also carried Florida by 13 points in the general election last November, giving Donalds some assurance of favoritism in the governor's race, given the president's overwhelming popularity in the state.
Adding to that, Gov. Ron DeSantis defeated Charlie Crist, another Republican-turned-Democrat, by nearly 20 points in the 2022 gubernatorial election. Still, Jolly pinned back on affordability as to how Democrats could break the mold of Republican control that has gone back nearly three decades.
"I think we have an affordability crisis we did not have six years ago, and that is real," Jolly said. "People's financial insecurities about the cost of housing, about transportation costs, about property insurance, property taxes, about car insurance, about the cost of utilities - that crisis is far more pressing now than it was six years ago."
Along with affordability, Jolly also claimed voters were tired of "culture wars" under DeSantis's leadership. During the governor's tenure, the Florida Legislature has passed bills restricting the use of pronouns and banning diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in state academia, among other measures.
"It's time to end the culture wars. Welcome everyone, regardless of the color of your skin, where you were born, who you love to be, and who you worship," Jolly said.
An Independent for four years, Jolly registered as a Democrat in April. He has also been an outspoken critic of Trump since 2015, calling the president a "clown."
Knowing he might have to take a balanced approach, Jolly underscored the need for a state catastrophic fund to remove hurricane coverage from the private market and a plan to lower corporate taxes.
"I'm about big solutions to big problems. I don't play the left-right spectrum," Jolly said. "I'm in a very post-ideological space."
While the gubernatorial election is not till November 2026, a recent poll showed Donalds with an early lead over Jolly. However, the poll did not factor in Sen. Jason Pizzo (I-Sunny Isles), a viable Independent candidate, nor a possible run by First Lady Casey DeSantis.
While Jolly emphasized that he "admired" Sen. Pizzo for running for governor, he argued that it would be difficult for an Independent to win in the state, instead saying his focus was on growing the Democratic coalition.
"We have to be a Democratic Party, as I say, that believes with our democratic values, but speaks to independents, speaks to the faith community, speaks to gun owners, speaks to the ag community," Jolly added.
He also pressed Democrats to get behind capitalism, a forbidden word in certain circles of the party, over the far left's push advocating for socialism, alluding to gains by the Republican party in Miami-Dade County.
Home to many Hispanic immigrants who fled socialism, Miami-Dade recently flipped in voter registrations to the Republican. Trump also won the county last November, a first for a Republican presidential candidate since 1988.
"We are a capitalist nation. We are a capitalist state. Capitalism provides the most opportunity for families," Jolly said in response to being asked about the failed Democratic Socialism agenda Florida Democrats have been pushing.
Looking to take a more moderate approach, Jolly also insisted Florida's current governor isn't rushing to get behind Donalds anytime soon. The shade could be a factor if the race tightens up in the months ahead.
"Donalds might have Donald Trump's support, but he doesn't have DeSantis's, and DeSantis is determined to find anybody but Byron," Jolly said. "Their family conversation is about to get really messy, because DeSantis is determined to recruit anybody but Byron."
While Republican support may not be set in stone, Jolly appears to have earned the graces of Florida Democratic Party Chairwoman Nikki Fried. The 47-year-old, who spoke at the gala's event, praised Jolly's groundwork to The Floridian.
"You know what I've been impressed with is that David has been crisscrossing our state, having those tough conversations - showing up in communities that haven't gotten a chance to know who you are before," Fried said. "And he's listening. He's doing a lot of listening."
"What I'm hearing from people that he's had an opportunity to meet with is that they're seeing the genuineness in his heart," Fried continued. "They're seeing the shared values that he is willing to show up, take the criticisms, and take some questions - but most importantly telling the people here in our state I'm gonna show up for you, I'm gonna share our values, and I'm gonna stand up for what we believe in and he's putting in the work."
While the betting odds at the Hard Rock might not be in Jolly's favor for now, the nominee expressed optimism that Floridians were ready for change over the Republican status quo.
"If you actually want to change the affordability crisis, if you want to invest in public education, if you want a state cap fund that reduces your property insurance by up to 50 to 60% in some cases, that's our coalition," Jolly said.
On those points, Jolly argued Republicans were "ideologically and politically incapable" of handling the issues.
"They're not going to save public education because they're determined to kill it. They're not going to support a state cap fund because they don't want the government involved," Jolly said.
