David Jolly to speak at National Action Network Convention, punctuating national momentum for Dems

Democratic candidate for Governor David Jolly will speak Thursday at the 2026 National Action Network Convention in New York City.

Jolly is the only candidate for Florida Governor invited to speak at the convention, which runs through Saturday.

His inclusion is meaningful and speaks to momentum Democrats have gained in recent weeks in what is otherwise now a ruby red Florida. While there are several Democratic candidates for Governor, Jolly’s top Primary opposition is Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings, who was not included in the event’s lineup.

Jolly will be introduced by the Rev. Al Sharpton, the national Action Network’s founder and President. And Jolly is part of an all-star lineup of politicians from across the nation, including a slate of possible 2028 presidential candidates such as Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, former Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, and more. Former Vice President Kamala Harris will also speak at the convention.

Jolly’s inclusion in the event comes after two Special Election victories in Florida in which Democrats upset better-funded Republicans.

In last month’s Special Election for House District 87, Democrat Emily Gregory defeated Republican Jon Maples by 1.5 percentage points despite President Donald Trump winning the district in 2024 by 9 percentage points. Gregory, who has since endorsed Jolly, outperformed her predecessor by an even wider margin, with former Rep. Mike Caruso carrying the district in 2024 by 19 percentage points.

While examples of Democrats’ recent success are aplenty — both in Florida and elsewhere — Gregory’s victory punctuates voter sentiment.

“There is now a national belief that we can win this race,” Jolly told Florida Politics. “This is almost a post-Watergate moment. We are seeing voters going in a different direction.”

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 why I look at this as an economic crisis, not just an affordability crisis. People have lost upward mobility,” he said. “How do we dig ourselves out of an economic crisis? We focus on that and voter exhaustion from the culture wars.”

And that’s what Jolly said he plans to focus on in his remarks Thursday, which are expected to run about 10 minutes at the event’s plenary lunch.

“We are facing a crisis because our leaders have chosen to create this moment,” Jolly said, his blame laid at the feet of elected officials who have either been complicit or outright supported the current state of politics at both the state and national level.

He said he will emphasize his campaign’s values, including protecting peoples’ rights and improving economic conditions for all.

“Those values are rooted in democratic tradition from FDR to JFK to Barack Obama, but they are so much bigger than our party,” Jolly said.

Recent Democratic wins are sending a message, Jolly said. Independent voters and even some Republicans are casting their ballots for Democratic candidates. 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.

“We’ve got a coalition that has not been seen in national politics in a very long time,” Jolly said.

This year’s National Action Network Convention celebrates 35 years of fighting for civil rights, justice and equality. As one of the nation’s leading civil rights organizations, the National Action Network has chapters throughout the U.S.

Sharpton founded the organization in 1991, with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s spirit and traditions in mind, including to promote a standard of justice, decency and equal opportunities for all regardless of race, religion, ethnicity, citizenship, criminal record, economic status, gender, gender expression or sexuality.

Jolly’s inclusion in the group’s annual convention isn’t the only evidence of momentum in recent weeks. Jolly raised $1 million since Gregory’s Special Election victory in late March. Throughout the entire first quarter and the first few days of April, Jolly’s campaign raised $2 million. Those numbers are huge considering that represents nearly half of the $5 million his campaign has raised overall since launching nearly a year ago.

What’s more, a poll taken in Palm Beach County, where Gregory’s district is located, found Jolly leading Republican front-runner Byron 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.

Before Jolly faces any Republican though, he must first survive a Democratic Primary. Demings has not yet released first-quarter fundraising data, but he raised just $329,000 in the fourth quarter of 2025 between his official campaign account and affiliated political committee. Jolly had raised more than $1 million in the same time frame.

Asked about his Primary against Demings, Jolly offered a promise.

“I have said as an analyst, we can’t have a circular firing squad,” Jolly said, referring to his time as a political analyst for MSNBC and MS NOW. “And I have committed to not doing that in this race.”

Instead, he said he’s focused on building a unifying coalition.

“I hope part of that is unifying the (Democratic) Party,” Jolly said. “Whether that’s in August or November, I accept responsibility for that.”