Democratic gubernatorial candidate David Jolly launched a video series this week spotlighting his journey on the campaign trail across Florida as he seeks the nomination in August.
"We try to do local community work, hear voices, hear the stories. We try to do a coalition-building event, whether it's a town hall. We try to sit with local leaders or civic leaders,' Jolly said in the over 2-minute video, bookended by a Jolly "Believe For Governor" moniker.
Jolly, a former Republican-turned Democrat, announced his run in June 2025.
"I've asked for the opportunity to be the candidate. I've accepted my role as the candidate. I've accepted the responsibility of trying to marshal together this coalition," Jolly said.
Florida hasn't had a Democratic governor since Lawton Chiles was first elected in 1990. Chiles was reelected in 1994 and served until 1998, when former Lt. Gov. Buddy MacKay took over his term following his death until Jan. 5, 1999.
That's 9,918 days ago if you're keeping track.
Jolly is looking to end that streak, which has spanned four Republican governors, including Gov. Ron DeSantis.
"This is a moment where the entire state of Florida can stand up and do something we haven't seen in American politics in a long time," Jolly continued.
Jolly was Florida's congressional representative in District 13 as a Republican from 2014 to 2017.
And he's no fan of President Donald Trump, having been that way for quite some time, even just after leaving office. Jolly often criticized Trump as a political commentator on CNN and MSNBC (now MS Now) over the past decade.
"Since the emergence of Donald Trump in 2015, when he came down the escalator, he has disrupted the entire American experiment over the last 10 years," Jolly said. "If in the state of Florida, Florida's voters are the ones who say, not anymore. Yes, for people who are concerned about the future of the country, we will have provided a reset. But we will also have been given an opportunity."
Trump carried Florida by 13 points in 2024. Republicans also hold a massive registration edge over Democrats in the state.
And Jolly knows it.
"If we've been given the opportunity in November to say, right in a state where Democrats are outnumbered by 1.4 million people, that means the Democratic party would have led a new political coalition bigger than our party. If we have been given that platform in November, then what we do with it might become the greatest task of our generation," Jolly said. "Because if we can deliver on that, we will have redefined American politics. I believe we got a shot to change the world."
Jolly faces Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings in the Democratic primary on Aug. 18. If he can defeat Demings, he could face U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL), who is Trump-endorsed, and end Republican dominance that has been going on for nearly three decades.
