After Emily Gregory nod, 22 more Palm Beach County leaders back David Jolly for Governor

David Jolly’s groundswell of support in Palm Beach County continued this week, as 22 more current and former elected leaders threw their support behind his campaign for Governor.

The latest wave of endorsements — which includes officials in state, county and municipal posts — comes less than a week after newly elected state Rep. Emily Gregory, a fellow Democrat, confirmed she is backing Jolly in the race.

It also follows a poll showing Jolly leading Republican Byron Donalds by 9 percentage points in a head-to-head matchup for Governor and news that Jolly crossed the $5 million mark in fundraising last quarter.

“Palm Beach County is essential to winning Florida,” said Jolly, a former Congressman.

“I’m honored to have the support of leaders like Rep. Gregory, who are showing what’s possible when you stay focused on what matters most to voters. Together, we’re building a coalition that reflects the full diversity of this state and is committed to lowering costs, fixing our broken insurance system, and bringing common sense back to Tallahassee.”

Jolly’s new Palm Beach County endorsers include state Sen. Mack Bernard; state Reps. Rob Long, Kelly Skidmore and Debra Tendrich; Public Defender Daniel Eisinger; School Board member Marcia Andrews; Port of Palm Beach District Commissioner Wayne Richards; Riviera Beach Mayor Douglas Lawson; Lake Park Mayor Roger Michaud; Lake Worth Beach Vice Mayor Sarah Malega; Wellington Vice Mayor Tanya Siskind; Pahokee Commissioner Sanquetta Cowan-Williams; Boca Raton Council member Yvette Drucker; Riviera Beach Commissioners Bruce Guyton and KaShamba Miller-Anderson; Lake Park Commissioners John Linden and Michael O’Rourke; Lake Worth Beach Commissioner Christopher McVoy; and Delray Beach Commissioner Judy Mollica.

Former Palm Beach County Commissioner and ex-West Park Beach Mayor Carol Roberts, former Boca Raton Deputy Mayor Monica Mayotte and former Greenacres Commissioner Paula Bousquet endorsed Jolly too.

Bernard, a former state Representative and County Commissioner who won his Senate District 245 seat unopposed in June 2024, commended Jolly for remaining hyperfocused on affordability.

“David Jolly understands that for too many families in Palm Beach County, the cost of living isn’t a talking point. It’s a daily challenge,” he said in a statement.

“David is coming in with real solutions to lower housing costs and create opportunity in every community. That’s the kind of leadership that will bring people together and win statewide.”

Lawson, who was appointed Mayor in April 2025 after six years of service on the Riviera Beach Council, said Jolly is “building the kind of coalition that will bring a Democrat into the Governor’s Office for the first time in far too long.”

“David is focused on the issues that voters truly care about. He’s campaigning everywhere and reaching out to every voter,” he said in a statement. “That’s why his message is resonating here in Palm Beach County and across the state.”

The new nods Wednesday add to others from Palm Beach County including Gregory, Senate Democratic Leader Lori Berman, state Sen. Tina Polsky, Tax Collector Anne Gannon, former State Attorney Dave Aronberg, former state Sen. Tom Rossin and former state Rep. Matt Willhite.

Polsky, who is co-chairing the Jolly for Governor campaign, said Floridians are “tired of chaos and division.”

“David Jolly is offering something different: bringing people together to actually solve problems,” she said in a statement. “That mindset is why so many leaders are supporting him in my hometown and all across the state I love.”

Jolly is a leading candidate in a crowded Governor’s race that has topped a record 44 candidates. Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings, a former Sheriff and Orlando Police Chief, is Jolly’s highest-profile Democratic Primary opponent.

In the Republican Primary, Donalds is set to face several notable opponents, including Lt. Gov. Jay Collins and former House Speaker Paul Renner.

The Primary Election is on Aug. 18, followed by the General Election on Nov. 3.