David Jolly says he can rally both Democrats and frustrated Republicans to turn the state blue

David Jolly told a downtown Orlando audience that electing Democrats to Florida’s top offices would make the state nationally relevant again, as the Democratic gubernatorial candidate pitched himself as a coalition-builder who can win over frustrated Republicans as well as Democrats.

“You want to redefine our national politics in a moment of division and crisis? It starts right here in the state of Florida,” Jolly said at the Tiger Bay Club of Central Florida.

“If this happens in ’26, the road to the White House runs through Florida again in ’28. You want to make this state relevant for Republican or Democratic or independent politics? If we flip the Governorship or the Attorney General’s Office in Florida, the other 49 states are going to have to look at Florida and say, ‘What just happened?’”

Jolly, who is running against Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings in the Democrat Primary for Governor, answered questions and spoke alongside Attorney General candidate José Javier Rodríguez, who is seeking to challenge the appointed AG, James Uthmeier.

Throughout the panel, Jolly explained his personal story in politics — how he was elected as a Republican to Congress before eventually switching to the Democratic Party.

“I have found my home in the Democratic Party,” Jolly told the crowd of local elected officials and the politically connected. “I don’t think the problem in politics are people who change, it’s people who won’t change. So I celebrate my change.”

Jolly is hoping to capture the momentum following two Special Elections that flipped legislative seats blue. Jolly called those wins proof that Floridians are tiring of the Republican-controlled state government.

New polling out this week also says Democrats are more competitive than they have been in years.

“Voters are screaming for change right now. We’ve got an economic crisis and we’re exhausted by culture wars,” Jolly said. 

Jolly also slammed the Legislature’s 60-day Regular Session.

“They did nothing about insurance, nothing about the economic crisis. And they doubled down on culture wars.” The budget is also still unfinished, Jolly added.

When asked if the Legislature’s 60-day Session should be extended, Jolly quipped, “Based on what Tallahassee’s been doing, I hope they stay out of Session.”

Jolly said he believes the growing dissent with Republicans could work in his favor in November, even though Republicans control a mighty voter registration advantage over Democrats.

“You don’t have to be a Democrat to vote for a Democrat,” Jolly said. 

If elected, Jolly said his priorities would be to fight the affordability crisis and support public health and public education.

“Frankly, on my first day in office, I’m going to fire the Surgeon General,” said Jolly, referring to Dr. Joseph Ladapo, who once compared vaccine mandates for polio and other childhood diseases to slavery. 

Jolly proposed tapping into tourist development taxes — a surcharge added onto hotel bills that raises big money in Orlando — to help pay for public schools and give teachers a pay increase. That would undoubtedly face fierce opposition from members of the tourism lobby, who prefer that money is spent on advertising dollars. 

Jolly said he supports closing the controversial immigration detention center Alligator Alcatraz and would return the land back to Miami-Dade County.

“That does not mean we’re going to be soft on crime. If you violate the law in the state of Florida, regardless of where you were born, you’re going to be held accountable,” Jolly said. “That means if you were born here, it means if you immigrated here, or that means you stole $10 million from the Medicaid program for political purposes, you should be investigated and held accountable.”

Jolly’s barb at DeSantis’ Hope Florida scandal won over some laughs in Orange County, one of the bluest areas in Florida. 

Jolly said he was supportive of artificial intelligence protections and voiced concerns about the environmental impacts on data centers. 

As the forum was ending, Jolly continued to face questions comparing him to Charlie Crist and wondering if Republicans would truly support Jolly.

Jolly made one last plea to the crowd.

“I’m a proud Democrat. I’m excited to be a Democrat,” he said. “But listen, we’ve got to build a coalition that looks different.”