Congressman and Florida gubernatorial candidate Byron Donalds (R-FL) released a campaign ad asserting Democratic challenger David Jolly would erase Gov. Ron DeSantis's conservative accomplishments and implement a liberal agenda if elected governor.
The 30-second ad, titled "Never," was shared on Rep. Donalds' YouTube page.
"Liberal David Jolly called Florida under Ron DeSantis an abject failure and vowed to undo DeSantis's agenda. Liberal David Jolly is going to raise your taxes, jack up your insurance, and make everything more expensive," the ad says.Â
The ad underscores Gov. DeSantis's backing.
"Byron Donalds endorsed by Governor Ron DeSantis. I will keep your taxes low. I will lower your insurance costs, and I will make Florida more affordable," Donalds says.
The Republican Party of Florida made a similar claim about Jolly against DeSantis this week. Â
Gov. DeSantis formally endorsed Rep. Donalds at the Florida GOP Leadership Forum in Tampa in September. Donalds thanked DeSantis for his support and his work as governor at the time.
The support also ended DeSantis as a holdout. The governor stopped short of saying he would campaign for Donalds in the governor's race when asked about it during a press conference in August.
That still might be true. Gov. DeSantis does not directly appear endorsing Donalds in the ad, and it is unknown if DeSantis will appear with Donalds at campaign events with the general election 30 days away.
Donalds also admitted to not having a close relationship with the governor in the past. DeSantis's endorsement could arguably be viewed as him just being a team player.
But there's still time. DeSantis also might want to make sure his conservative agenda isn't squandered by a Jolly victory.
Donalds is looking to become Florida's 5th straight Republican governor since January 1999. DeSantis was first elected in 2018 and re-elected in 2022 but cannot seek a third consecutive term under the Florida Constitution.
Jolly hopes to become the first Democrat elected Florida governor since 1994.
