State Senator Carlos Guillermo Smith (D-17) has endorsed Democratic candidate David Jolly for governor.
Sen. Guillermo Smith, who lives in East Orlando, represents part of Orange County. He previously served in the Florida House of Representatives from 2016 to 2022. When he was first elected in 2016, he was Florida's first openly-LGBTQ latino lawmaker, just a year after gay marriage was legalized nationwide.
"In the aftermath of the Pulse nightclub shooting in his community, Carlos championed the needs of survivors and families and became a national leader in gun violence prevention," according to Sen. Guillermo Smith's Florida Policy Institute biography, for which he serves as a senior policy advisor.
He has also been named as one of Orlando's 50 Most Powerful People by Orlando Magazine since 2018, according to the biography.
"David Jolly and Gwen Graham are already working together to unite us all who believe in better," Sen. Guillermo Smith said in his endorsement, according to an X post by Jolly. "Jolly and Graham are the leaders we need in Tallahassee, who will defend everyone's rights and freedoms, regardless of the color of their skin, who they love or who they worship."
He believes Jolly has achievable solutions to the problems facing the state, including lowering the cost of living, fully funding public schools and expanding access to healthcare.
In response to the endorsement, Jolly wrote, "Gwen and I are proud to earn the support of Senator Carlos Guillermo Smith. Thank you for all you do on behalf of Floridians, and we're glad to stand alongside you as we work toward change."
Gwen and I are proud to earn the support of Senator Carlos Guillermo Smith. Thank you for all you do on behalf of Floridians, and we're glad to stand alongside you as we work toward change. https://t.co/zf8UU0OyBh
— David Jolly (@davidjollyfl) October 20, 2026
