Gwen Graham as David Jolly’s LG? The speculation is loud and clear

It’s beginning to look like Gwen Graham will be David Jolly’s pick for Lieutenant Governor, with speculation now turning to credible sources.

Rev. R.B. Holmes Jr., pastor of the historic Bethel Missionary Baptist Church in Tallahassee, called Graham out as Jolly’s running mate from his pulpit Sunday, according to sources close to the campaign. The USA Today Network also reported on Holmes’ announcement.

Holmes Jr. serves as the Faith Leadership Chair for Jolly’s campaign where he leads “Faith Leaders for Florida’s Future,” a coalition of pastors from historically Black congregations supporting Jolly’s campaign.

Graham previously represented Florida’s 2nd Congressional District for one term. She was elected to the seat in 2014 in a major upset to Republicans after she unseated U.S. Rep. Steve Southerland, despite strong headwinds for the GOP that year, two years after former President Barack Obama’s re-election.

Graham did not seek re-election in 2016 because redistricting made her path to victory even more difficult. She opted instead to run for Governor in 2018, losing in the Democratic Primary that year to Andrew Gillum, despite significant institutional backing.

Earlier this year, Graham announced she would not run again for her old seat, which U.S. Rep. Neal Dunn is vacating, setting up an open race in a year expected to favor Democrats. But that decision paved the way for Graham to run on Jolly’s ticket.

The Jolly campaign did not confirm Graham as his LG pick.

“We don’t have anything to announce at this time,” Jolly campaign Senior Advisor Mark Riddle said in a statement.

The speculation about Graham as Jolly’s No. 2 comes just days after the path to the Democratic nomination essentially cleared. Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings announced on Friday that he was suspending his gubernatorial campaign after being diagnosed with prostate cancer. No other prominent Democrat is in the race, though there are several Democratic candidates filed with the state to run. Qualifying for the race is Friday, and it will become clear then whether any of the unheard of candidates will make the ballot.

A ticket with Graham on it would accomplish a lot for Jolly. Even after Demings’ departure from the race, some Democrats were still less than thrilled about Jolly’s candidacy, most opposing him because he used to be a Republican. Some have encouraged voters to cast a ballot instead for Desmond Meade, an activist running as an independent. With Graham as his running mate, Jolly could potentially woo some reluctant Democrats with the former U.S. Representative’s strong Democratic history. Graham is the daughter of former U.S. Senator and former Florida Gov. Bob Graham, also a Democrat.

Graham would also likely help the Jolly campaign attract women voters, balancing a field of candidates that, for now, is dominated by men.

Jolly has a tough road ahead, even if he’s cleared in the Primary. As of the end of May, Republican frontrunner Byron Donalds had reportedly raised more than $81 million. By comparison, as of the end of March, Jolly’s campaign had raised just $5 million.

And Jolly will have to overcome a voter registration disadvantage of 1.5 million voters, a number that has been steadily growing since the GOP first overcame Democrats in voter registration in 2021.