WASHINGTON—U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) criticized former congressman David Jolly’s bid for Florida governor in a recent interview with The Floridian, calling Jolly’s political record weak and opportunistic.
Rep. Donalds accused Jolly of lacking a firm ideological foundation and shifting party affiliations—from Republican to Independent to Democrat—for political gain. He linked Jolly’s transformation to his unsuccessful reelection campaign to the House of Representatives against then-candidate Charlie Crist.
“The truth is, is that David Jolly could not win reelection. He has no idea what he wants to do. He's trying to find his way to get back into the political apparatus. He can't do that. And I also acknowledge the fact that when David Jolly lost his seat to then-candidate Charlie Crist when he lost that seat, it's because he was weak sauce.” he said. “He did not have a strong conservative foundation that was going to guide him into the future. And the voters in Pinellas County saw right through it and said, no, we think we're good.”
Donalds also contrasted their political records, saying he welcomed a comparison stating, “He (Jolly) can say whatever he wants at the end of the day if he wants to compare records. You know, that's fine. I'm more than happy to do that. I have a strong conservative record that mirrors the bedrock of Florida's government, and mirrors what people in Florida are desiring in their next government.”
Donalds also addressed growing divisions within the Democratic Party. He pointed to a recent impeachment vote led by the party’s progressive wing, which failed to gain full Democratic support—128 Democrats voted against it, including several prominent liberals.
“They have no leadership. They’re all over the place,” Donalds said. “It's why they're going to lose badly next year. Truth is, is that the Democrat Party is more concerned about their radical fringe base than what matters in the lives of the American people.”
He closed by emphasizing that Republicans will stay focused on serving the public, not engaging in culture wars.
“What we are going to do, we are going to focus on common sense, conservative solutions that address the real-world concerns of the people that we serve,” he concluded. “We're not going to get caught up in these left-wing culture battles that only matter to 20% of the electorate. We are going to serve all Floridians, and we're going to have common sense conservative policies that speak to real solutions, not soundbites, not stupid impeachment articles or anything else that the radical left likes to do.”
In an earlier interview with the Floridian, Jolly emphsized that he was not going to make his campaign about President Doanld Trump, who has endorsed Donalds, rather focus on ending the "culture wars" he says Governor Ron DeSantis created, and on being a problem solve for Floridians.
"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. "I'm about big solutions to big problems. I don't play the left-right spectrum."
