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David Jolly rolls out endorsements from ‘Democratic powerhouses’ Gwen Graham, Donna Shalala, Karen Thurman

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A former Republican Congressman is trumpeting endorsements from a trio of women who served in Congress in his nascent run for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination next year.

David Jolly is announcing support from former Democratic U.S. Reps. Gwen Graham, Donna Shalala and Karen Thurman as he looks to consolidate support before drawing any serious opposition.

“We’re building a team to tackle the affordability crisis in Florida. It’s an honor to have three of Florida’s most experienced and distinguished leaders collaborating to solve this crisis together,” Jolly said. “My deepest thanks to my friend Gwen, Secretary Shalala, and Congresswoman Thurman for their continued service and their support.”

Graham, who ran competitively in 2018’s Democratic Primary, sees Jolly as the “best Democrat to win” who can “end 28 years of one-party rule in Tallahassee.”

“In Congress, David and I worked together to ban oil drilling in the Gulf and restore Apalachicola Bay. Bringing together the entire Florida delegation to protect our state’s land and water, we formed a close friendship we still share today,” she said.

“David is laser-focused on tackling the affordability crisis that’s hurting families across our state — from skyrocketing housing costs to out-of-control insurance rates. And, as Governor, David will fight to support students, families, and teachers by building a strong public education system in Florida.”

Shalala, who is a former Congresswoman, Cabinet Secretary and President of the University of Miami, said Jolly is “building a winning coalition.”

She believes the candidate is “focused on the most urgent crisis facing Floridians — affordability” and “understands that working families are being crushed by the high cost of living, housing, and health care.”

Additionally, she said he would advance abortion rights rolled back in the state under Gov. Ron DeSantis.

“At a time when these rights are under unprecedented attack, I have every confidence that David is the leader who will stand firm to protect personal freedoms and ensure every Floridian has the power to make decisions about their own body and future.”

Thurman, who previously chaired the Florida Democratic Party, said Jolly “has a clear and thoughtful plan to address the challenges many Floridians face — like the rising cost of housing, expensive insurance, low wages, and unaffordable health care.”

“I believe David Jolly can unite voters across Florida and lead with the strength and vision our state needs. That’s why I’m proud to stand with him,” Thurman added.

While other Democrats are running, they are minor candidates without any notable political pedigree.

Meanwhile, Jolly is building a fundraising lead. He has already raised seven figures between his campaign account and his “Florida 2026” political committee, with donations coming in from all 50 states.

Yet while the Primary appears to be smooth sailing, the General Election promises choppier waters.

Democrats account for less than 32% of Florida voters, while Republicans account for more than 38%. In the middle: the nonpartisan voters who comprise more than 27% of the state electorate, according to the most recent L2 voter data. 

Consistent with registration trends, polling shows Jolly would trail Republican front-runner Byron Donalds, a Congressman from Naples, in a hypothetical General Election matchup.

Recent history also presents headwinds.

Democrats experimented with a GOP convert as a standard-bearer in the 2014 and 2022 elections, with a fellow Bay Area moderate, Charlie Crist. While the 2014 election was competitive, DeSantis defeated Crist handily eight years later.

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Janelle Irwin Taylor of Florida Politics contributed to this report.


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Miles Davis tapped to lead School Board organizing workshop at national LGBTQ conference

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Miles Davis is taking his Florida-focused organizing playbook to the national stage.

Davis, Policy Director at PRISM Florida and Director of Advocacy and Communications at SAVE, has been selected to present a workshop at the 2026 Creating Change Conference, the largest annual LGBTQ advocacy and movement-building convention.

It’s a major nod to his rising role in Florida’s LGBTQ policy landscape.

The National LGBTQ Task Force, which organizes the conference, announced that Davis will present his session, “School Board Organizing 101.” His proposal rose to the top of more than 550 submissions competing for roughly 140 slots, a press note said, making this year’s conference one of the most competitive program cycles in the event’s history.

His workshop will be scheduled during the Jan. 21-24 gathering in Washington, D.C.

Davis said his selection caps a strong year for PRISM Florida, where he helped shepherd the organization’s first-ever bill (HB 331) into the Legislature. The measure, sponsored by Tampa Democratic Rep. Dianne Hart, would restore local oversight over reproductive health and HIV/AIDS instruction, undoing changes enacted under a 2023 expansion to Florida’s “Parental Rights in Education” law, dubbed “Don’t Say Gay” by critics.

Davis’ workshop draws directly from that work and aims to train LGBTQ youth, families and advocates in how local boards operate, how public comment can shape decisions and how communities can mobilize around issues like book access, inclusive classrooms and student safety.

“School boards are where the real battles over student safety, book access, and inclusive classrooms are happening,” Davis said. “I’m honored to bring this training to Creating Change and help our community build the skills to show up, speak out, and win — especially as PRISM advances legislation like HB 331 that returns power to our local communities.”

Davis’ profile has grown in recent years, during which he jumped from working on the campaigns and legislative teams of lawmakers like Hart and Miami Gardens Democratic Sen. Shevrin Jones to working in key roles for organizations like America Votes, PRISM and SAVE.

The National LGBTQ Task Force, founded in 1973, is one of the nation’s oldest LGBTQ advocacy organizations. It focuses on advancing civil rights through federal policy work, grassroots engagement and leadership development.

Its Creating Change Conference draws thousands for four days of training and strategy-building yearly, a press note said.



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Kevin Steele seeks insight from conservative leaders at Rick Scott-led summit

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State Rep. Kevin Steele’s campaign for Chief Financial Officer already enjoys political support from U.S. Sen. Rick Scott. The Dade City Republican attended a summit headlined by the Senator to also gain some policy insight and mentoring.

Steele was among the attendees for the Rescuing the American Dream summit held on Thursday in Washington, D.C. He said it was a quest for knowledge that drew him to Capitol Hill to hear the discussion.

“The way you do things better in the future is by learning from people who have already accomplished something,” Steele told Florida Politics at the event.

Scott gave a shoutout to Steele from the stage. The Governor already endorsed Steele, who is challenging the appointed Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia in 2026. At the summit, Scott both promoted conservative successes in the first year of President Donald Trump’s second term and laid out visions on issues from health care reform to cryptocurrency.

Steele called the panel discussions “amazing” and instructive on tackling affordability issues in Florida.

“If we don’t start addressing those things head first, we’re going to fall behind,” Steele said. “I think we’ve lost several million jobs in the state of Florida over the past six or seven years. Learning from Rick Scott and how to bring jobs back to the state is a good thing. And I think that we need to start tackling some of the big, big things that we need to attack.”

That includes addressing property insurance premiums head on and evaluating the property tax situation.

While he will be challenging a Republican incumbent in a Primary, Steele voiced caution at comparing his philosophy too directly with Ingoglia, a former Republican Party of Florida Chair with a history of animus with Scott.

But he did suggest Ingoglia’s recent scrutinizing of local governments may be starting at the wrong place when it comes to cutting spending.

“We need to start focusing on state down, instead of going to a county and pointing out flaws there,” Steele said. “There’s a lot of issues at the state level that we can address, some of which we are, some of which I’ve submitted different bills to address. I think that there’s a lot of waste and abuse at the state level that we can focus on.”



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Darren Soto refuses to call for Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick’s resignation

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U.S. Rep. Darren Soto is refusing to say whether indicted U.S. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick should vacate her seat in Congress.

Video obtained by Florida Politics shows Soto being confronted on Capitol Hill. “Will you call on Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick to resign?” the videographer asks.

Initially, Soto remains silent, but the questioner suggests that silence shows “support” for someone who “stole $5 million in health care funds for the most vulnerable.” The Kissimmee Democrat then responds but continues walking away from the camera. He then conflates a censure motion against U.S. Rep. Cory Mills, a New Smyrna Beach Republican, and Cherfilus-McCormick, a Miramar Democrat.

“Both Mills and Cherfilus-McCormick, both will have due process. Thank you,” Soto said.

Both Cherfilus-McCormick and Mills remain the subjects of ongoing House Ethics Committee investigations. But only Cherfilus-McCormick now faces criminal prosecution for alleged financial crimes.

A grand jury in November indicted Cherfilus-McCormick on charges she stole $5 million in disaster relief funds to finance her 2021 congressional campaign.

The indictment alleges that Cherfilus-McCormick and her brother, Edwin Cherfilus, secured funding intended for a COVID vaccine distribution program, but when overpayments were made, she routed the spending through several accounts that later donated the funds as campaign contributions.

Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said pursuant to House rules that Cherfilus-McCormick had to give up her ranking status on the Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa. Local Democrats have started to issue calls for the Miramar Democrat’s resignation. But there have been no calls from Democratic members of Congress.

U.S. Rep. Greg Steube, a Sarasota Republican, has said if she won’t resign, he will move for her expulsion.

The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), which lists Soto as a target in 2026, slammed Soto’s unwillingness to criticize a fellow Democrat.

“Darren Soto’s refusal to call on Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick to resign is unacceptable,” said NRCC spokesperson Maureen O’Toole. “Floridians deserve a representative who fights for them, not his taxpayer-thieving colleague.”



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