Janelle Irwin Taylor
Former U.S. Rep. David Jolly is launching a radio show in the Tampa Bay and Space Coast areas on Wednesday.
“David Jolly: Unbiased and Unplugged” will air from 1 to 3 p.m. weekdays on AM 820 News in the Tampa market and AM 1060 News on the Space Coast. Both stations are owned by Genesis Communications.
“I’m excited to join the Genesis lineup,” Jolly said. “Florida, especially the I-4 corridor, is an increasingly important political landscape, and it’ll be great to reach it through the Genesis network.”
The show will include political commentary, interviews with guests and listener calls. Jolly will also post daily political commentary on the News Talk Florida website.
Jolly represented Florida’s 13th District, encompassing most of Pinellas County, from 2014 to 2017 as a Republican. Earlier this month, he announced he had left the Republican Party and shed all party affiliation.
Jolly has been a vocal critic of President Donald Trump and has rallied students on college campuses against hyper-partisanship and dysfunction in Washington.
Jolly “is one of the most respected commentators out there, and we’re honored to have him on Genesis,” said Bruce Maduri, Owner and Managing Director of Genesis Communications.
“His legislative experience gives him a unique perspective on current affairs, and his commitment to bipartisanship is a much-needed component of our political discourse.”
Jolly succeeded the late Rep. C.W. Bill Young in office after Young’s death in 2014. He lost a re-election bid to current U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist in 2016.
He has since partnered with former Congressman Patrick Murphy, a Democrat, to push for bipartisanship and civility in politics.
While in office, Jolly sponsored a bill to limit the amount of time elected members of Congress could spend on campaign activity. The move alienated him from the Republican Party.
Jolly doesn’t have any current plans to run for office again but has said it’s not out of the question. He has also been a regular contributor on MSNBC.
