David Jolly outlines campaign priorities and challenges in Florida governor race
FORT MYERS, Fla. —
David Jolly, a Democratic candidate for Florida governor, is urging voters to embrace a more civil and cooperative approach to politics.
“I’m asking people to believe in something better. To believe in each other. To believe as a state maybe we can just soften the toxicity of our politics just a little bit,” Jolly said.
Jolly, a former Republican turned Independent and now a Democrat, is running against Republican Byron Donalds and hopes to blur party lines as some prominent Republicans endorse his campaign.
“Part of what I’m trying to do is return a little civility and goodness to our politics,” Jolly said.
Jolly confirmed he has accepted multiple debate invitations, including one in Tampa, which he said Donalds pulled out of, and another in Miami. “We’ll see how he responds,” Jolly said.
When asked about recent polls showing him gaining ground, Jolly said, “Voters are desperate for change, and if the election were tonight, voters would elect a Democratic governor.”
Jolly criticized Donalds and former President Donald Trump for focusing on projects like ballrooms and data centers, saying, “All families in Florida want to do is build a good life here.”
On the issue of AI data centers, Jolly said he would call for a moratorium on data centers if elected. “Both reasons of policy but also reasons of listening to voters. Seventy percent or more of the state says we don’t want them.”
He added, “Byron Donalds and Donald Trump could simply listen to voters who say we don’t want them.”
Addressing accusations about a proposed hurricane tax, Jolly denied the claim. “That is nothing I’ve ever put out there. He’s (Donalds) putting a lot of money into lying,” he said.
Instead, Jolly proposed a state catastrophic fund to cover hurricane and wind insurance, which he said could reduce homeowners’ insurance costs by 60 to 70%. “Right now, we have a hurricane fund that bails out insurance companies. What if we use it to start bailing out homeowners?” he said.
Jolly also clarified his stance on taxes, stating, “I do not support an income tax in the state of Florida. We will never have one under my governorship.”
On property taxes, Jolly expressed cautious support for eliminating them, saying, “I think we have to be careful about the math. I say that because we want the math of Amendment 3 to work, but I’m not quite sure it does. I’ll respect what voters decide.”
Jolly’s campaign continues to focus on his vision for Florida, as voters prepare to decide whether they will make him governor.
To date, Byron Donalds has not accepted an invitation for an interview with Gulf Coast News.
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