Newly elected Sen. Brian Nathan (D-Tampa) announced his endorsement of Democrat David Jolly for Florida governor in a post on social media this week.
"David Jolly is doing the work, visiting every community, and talking about what people are actually going through," Nathan wrote. "I'm proud to support him, and I'm ready to run alongside him to deliver real results for Florida families."
Sen. Nathan was elected after upsetting Republican Josie Tomkow in the Senate District 14 special election back in March. SD 14 is located in Hillsborough County, including parts of Tampa and the county's suburbs.
A union leader and Navy Veteran, Nathan graduated from Hillsborough Community College and later from the University of Tampa.
Sen. Nathan replaced Republican Jay Collins, who resigned from the seat to become lieutenant governor in August 2025. Notably, Nathan won his race by 0.5%, while Collins won his race by nearly 10 points in 2022.
Jolly thanked Nathan for his endorsement.
"I’m honored to have the support of Senator Brian Nathan," Jolly wrote. "He understands what this campaign is about: showing up, listening to Floridians, and delivering real results for working families. Together, we’re building a coalition ready to move Florida forward."
Nathan's support of Jolly follows the endorsement of Rep. Emily Gregory (D-Palm Beach), who, like Nathan, secured an upset win in her House District 87 special election race on the same night.
In that race, Gregory defeated Republican Jon Maples by 2.4 points. Notably, Maples had been endorsed by President Donald Trump, who made his home in the District at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach.
In addition, Jolly has been endorsed by Sen. Shevrin "Shev" Jones (D-Miami Gardens). Jones was named Senate Democratic Leader for the 2028-2030 legislative term back in February.
Jolly also received an endorsement from former Democratic State Senator Janet Cruz earlier this month.
A former Republican, Jolly is running against Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings in the Democratic primary on Aug. 18.
