Florida Republicans have dominated in recent electoral races, but a Democrat says cost-of-living issues can help him become governor in 2026.
"I'm not foolish. I know what it's like to be a Democratic gubernatorial candidate in the state of Florida, but I am an idealist,鈥� said on Thursday, speaking at a political forum in Tallahassee.
He said voters want a more affordable Florida and accused the GOP 鈥� which has a supermajority in the Legislature and fills all鈥� of not delivering.
"We have a crisis in the state of Florida,鈥� he said. 鈥淚'm giving voice to voters who are screaming about it right now, and they're being ignored."
READ MORE: Democratic gubernatorial candidate David Jolly slams end of school vaccine mandates, GOP agenda
Jolly, who lives in the Tampa Bay area, is a former Republican congressman who left the party because of President Donald Trump.
The most well-known Republicans in the governor鈥檚 race are former Florida House Speaker and U.S. Representative , who Trump endorsed.
Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is term-limited in 2026, hasn鈥檛 said who he鈥檒l support. There's speculation it could be Jay Collins, , or , First Lady Casey DeSantis. But neither has announced a candidacy.
Calling Jolly a 鈥減olitical chameleon,鈥� the Republican Party of Florida says it鈥檚 confident the GOP will keep the governor鈥檚 seat after the 2026 election.
鈥淲ith Florida鈥檚 1.3M GOP edge, his far-left gun grab will only cement his loss in 2026. Florida stands for freedom, not control,鈥� after Jolly announced his candidacy in June.
Former Florida Senate Democratic Leader is running as an independent.
If you have any questions about state government or the legislative process, you can ask the Your Florida team .
This story was produced by WUSF as part of a statewide journalism initiative funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
