Brian Nathan backs David Jolly for Governor; both Special Election upset victors have now given their nod

Sen. Brian Nathan is endorsing David Jolly for Governor, making him the second newly elected Democrat to back Jolly for the Democratic nomination.

Nathan pulled off a narrow victory in late March over Republican Josie Tomkow in a district where voter registration favors the GOP and in a race where he was far outmatched in fundraising and institutional support.

His nod comes after Rep. Emily Gregory also endorsed Jolly. Gregory’s election victory the same night as Nathan’s made more headlines because her district includes President Donald Trump’s home at Mar-a-Lago. But both victories — particularly taken together — set off a wave of optimism among Democrats that perhaps the political pendulum in Florida was swinging back to the left after its rightward trajectory over most of this century.

Pundits across the nation speculated that unpopular policies from the Trump White House, including the war in Iran, and impacts creating soaring prices on everything ranging from gas and groceries to housing and construction, were pushing voters to support more Democrats ahead of this year’s Midterm Elections.

Nathan sees that happening here in red Florida.

“Families across Florida are feeling the pressure of rising costs, from housing to health care to insurance, and they want leaders who are focused on solutions,” Nathan said. “David Jolly is doing the work, visiting every community, and talking about what people are actually going through. I’m proud to support him, and I’m ready to run alongside him to deliver real results for Florida families.”

And Jolly isn’t shy about riding the wave Nathan and Gregory seem to have created.

“Brian and I believe in the same simple idea: you talk to every voter, you listen to what they’re going through, and you focus on solving the problems that matter most,” Jolly said. “That’s what Brian did in his campaign, and it’s why he won. It’s also how we’re going to win statewide, by focusing on addressing Florida’s affordability crisis, from the cost of living to health care, and building a coalition that reflects the entire state.”

Nathan’s endorsement came after Jolly and Nathan met Wednesday at CUP — which aptly stands for Coffee Uniting People — in South Tampa. The company focuses on creating meaningful employment opportunities for adults with disabilities. It was a frequent campaign stop for Nathan ahead of the Special Election, and will continue to be one as he campaigns for the General Election in November.

While the endorsement may not have seemed like much of a get even a month ago, the momentum Nathan’s election created has become clear in recent weeks.

A poll released this week, taken after Nathan’s election by South Florida-based EDGE Communications and MDW Communications, found Jolly in a statistical tie with Republican front-runner Byron Donalds.

Likewise, first-quarter fundraising reports made public last week show Jolly continuing to dominate the Democratic Primary, including with a surge in donations after Nathan’s and Gregory’s election wins. Jolly raised $2 million in the first quarter (and in the first few days of April), including $1 million after the Special Elections. His total fundraising is now up to $5 million, while Demings has raised just $660,000.

And more money might be on the way if national winds continue blowing in Jolly’s favor. Nationwide donors had largely written Florida off after Charlie Crist’s brutal defeat against incumbent Gov. Ron DeSantis four years ago, but it seems some support might be returning.

Jolly spoke recently at the National Action Network Convention in New York City. He was the only candidate for Florida Governor invited to speak and was invited alongside possible 2028 Democratic presidential hopefuls such as former Vice President Kamala Harris, former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro.

Even before a spate of Democratic victories and overperformances this year, Jolly was already focused on pocketbook issues in this race, recognizing that Floridians were looking for leadership that responded to their needs.

That’s what happened in both South Florida and Tampa in the Special Election wins.

In Gregory’s race, Republicans outperformed Democrats in voter turnout, yet their party’s candidate still lost, indicating that at least some Republicans — as many as 1 in 5 — crossed party lines.

What’s more, a poll taken in Palm Beach County, where Gregory’s district is located, found Jolly leading Donalds by nearly 9 percentage points. At the same time, respondents indicated significant disapproval of Trump, with 56% saying they don’t think he’s doing a good job.

While that is just one of 67 Florida counties, it adds to Jolly’s assertion that Floridians are looking for fresh leadership, especially as average gas prices now sit well above $4 per gallon in Florida and as prices for other goods and services are expected to increase amid rising fuel costs.

Other statewide polls show Jolly within single digits of Donalds, including an Emerson College poll that put Jolly 5 percentage points behind Donalds and a University of North Florida poll putting Jolly 6 points back.