David Jolly attends Orlando voting rally with Rep. Maxwell Frost, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. —
With early voting underway in Orange County, Democratic candidate for Florida governor David Jolly attended a Get Out the Vote Canvass Kick-Off rally in Orlando Wednesday afternoon.
The event was hosted by Democratic Congressman Maxwell Frost with a special guest from the Midwest, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker.
While the event was focused on public education and rallying support for four Orange County School Board candidates, WESH 2 asked Jolly for his reaction to the Leon County judge’s order for Attorney General James Uthmeier to rewrite the ballot language for Amendment 3 that would raise the exemption in two years to $250,000 for non-school homestead property taxes.
“The amendment was rushed,” Jolly said. “The math doesn’t quite work. We all want it to work, but it doesn’t quite work. It seems overtly political what they’ve done and it could create a crisis for local communities. I ultimately think I will line up with police officers and firefighters who have come out to say the math just doesn’t work. Let’s go back to the drawing board, but let’s see what the final language is.”
Jolly went on to say he does think tax relief is needed, adding “we should examine first-time homebuyer tax relief” and “we should look at turning homestead exemption maybe into a local decision so that Orange County can make a decision that might be different from Levy or Palm Beach or Collier, maybe that’s where we go.”
The Democratic rally was focused on public education with Frost and Pritzker voicing their support for Orange County School Board candidates Angie Gallo (school board chair), Melissa Marantes (District 1), Gloria Reina O’Neal (District 2) and Susanne Peña (District 3).
“Taking money out of our public schools and giving it to private schools, that’s what Gov. DeSantis is doing, doesn’t make our schools better,” Gov. Pritzker said. “In fact, defunding schools takes away teachers, takes away opportunity from our kids. We know that in Illinois, we actually ended school vouchers.”
While there’s speculation that Gov. Pritzker could run for president in 2028, he told WESH 2 he is focused on winning his third term as governor of Illinois in November.
Jolly told WESH 2 the state of Florida should be spending more money on public education.
“I think we need a new set of rules on vouchers,” Jolly said. “But let’s start with a choice. We should choose to lead the world in public education so that every Florida family wants to rush into a Florida public school. It’s a question of who we are as a people. It strengthens our economy, invests in our youth.”
Jolly is projected to face off against Republican frontrunner Byron Donalds in the November general election.
This week, Donalds re-shared on his social media the endorsement he received from President Donald Trump in Feb. 2025 before he officially entered the race.
Donalds’ polling average this year has him at 49% among Republican voters, according to RealClearPolitics, while his primary opponents Florida Lt. Gov. Jay Collins, former State House Speaker Paul Renner and businessman James Fishback remain in single digits.
Florida’s primary election day is in less than two weeks away, on Tuesday, Aug. 18.