Jacob Ogles
David Jolly once won a bitter fight to represent a Florida swing seat in Congress as a Republican. Now, he’s exploring a run for Governor by meeting with Democratic clubs across the state.
Jolly, who spent much of his political energy in the last decade promoting political movements outside the two-party system, said he will run as a Democrat if he decides to seek the Governor’s Mansion next year.
“I’ve considered myself a proud member of the Democratic Coalition for years now,” Jolly told Florida Politics. “The coalition I would need is essentially the same. You need Democrats, independents and kind of mainstream Republicans to build a coalition. If you do it as an NPA (no party affiliation candidate) or as a Democrat, you are still asking if you can change the state.”
Jolly met with the Legislative Black Caucus, a heavily Democrat-leaning group of elected officials, in a Monday meeting first reported by POLITICO. But more important, Jolly said, have been meetings with local Democratic clubs all throughout the state over much of the past year. From speaking with party regulars, he feels his current political philosophy largely aligns with Florida Democrats.
But he has identified as nonpartisan since 2018, when he left the Republican Party halfway into President Donald Trump’s first term in the White House. He also has been involved in third-party politics, whether as Executive Director of the Serve America Movement in 2020 or as one of the co-founders of the Forward Party in 2022.
But Jolly said he can’t deny that American democracy is built around the two-party system.
“I still like multiparty democracies,” he said. “Around the world, they have greater participation, better satisfaction, better outcomes. But we don’t have a multiparty system in the U.S.”
Despite a shift toward Republican politics in the last four years, Jolly sees a hunger in Florida for a break from reactionary government. “Republicans spent eight years fighting culture wars,” he said. “Voters want them to address the insurance crisis and have better schools.”
He said his platform will focus on topics like reforming the insurance market and Florida’s school choice programs.
“Republicans have created a voucher crisis for families, and parents are left with no good choices: underfunded schools or vouchers that don’t cover tuition at private schools,” he said.
“The No. 1 answer is to reinvest in public schools and have more public schools in more neighborhoods. Then, the state should explore, for schools to accept vouchers there should be a cap on tuition increases.”
He also believes one-party rule has resulted in open corruption in state government, and believes the public would embrace campaign finance reforms to combat that.
With term limits prohibiting Gov. Ron DeSantis from running again, Jolly said he also sees a path to victory that’s more clear just because there is an open seat.
“This is a good cycle for Florida to choose its direction,” he said.
17 comments
ScienceBLVR
March 25, 2025 at 6:08 pm
Still like to see a solid Democrat run, although I’ve always respected Jolly. I do think he’d stand a better chance than Charlie had, but hey just like Christ, he first came into office as a Republican, then splintered off. Maybe all the good Republicans have to eventually leave a party, that unfortunately has become morally bankrupt, authoritarian and the enemy of the Constitution and free speech.
EARL PITTS AMERICAN
March 28, 2025 at 11:37 am
Relax your Political Sphincters, Florida,
This old dried-up has-been Second Fiddle “Jolly” never had any “Leadership Skills”, Jolly is just putting out his feelers to George Soros to throw millions his way. He’s not a “Serious Player” at all.
Meanwhile, Soros is trying to kiss up to Andrew Gillum to have manly fornication relations with.
Be sure to follow me, EARL PITTS AMERICAN, for the “REAL REAL” Political Updates you need to know.
I, EARL PITTS AMERICAN, would like to thank myself for being Florida’s Political Go-To Guru,
EARL PITTS AMERICAN
Michael K
March 25, 2025 at 7:44 pm
I’ve always respected Jolly for his rational intellect, fierce independence, and principles. Imagine: principles! I think he’s an interesting choice for many NPAs, independents, and “Republicans” who find the Musk/Trump/MAGA cocktail too revolting and un-American. And yes, I think he would find support from Democrats. It’s early, but I think he’d shake things up.
Diddy Ever
March 26, 2025 at 9:40 am
“It’s early, but I think he’d shake things up.”
Funny. Trump is “shaking things up” and you don’t seem to like that. Guess it’s true what they say about whose ox is being gored.
JustBabs
March 26, 2025 at 10:53 am
Trump is a mentally disabled moron and a danger to the people in America. He’s also robbing the Treasury to create his own personal, taxpayer funded, spending account. So glad he has one foot in the grave.
Positive mike
March 25, 2025 at 11:39 pm
Other than us political nerds, has any Floridans ever heard of him? He’s a Republican in Florida who served one and a quarter term in congress.This dude was the General Counsel for Congressman Bill Young. And in January 2014 he won a special election to succeed Young…which Im sure Young helped with. Then he won a solid term in October of the same year ( 2014)…the voters didnt know much about him yet. Then in 2016 after serving his only full term, he was defeated by Charlie Christ who had just switched to Democrat…seemingly just to beat him. After that he just got on cable T V and started slamming Trump. The liberal media put him on …they liked that, then he annouced he left the Republican Party. This guy is just a slick lawyer and lobbyist who learned how to pjay the game and dont believe in anything really. Had he been a city commissioner or something at some time maybe I’d feel differently. But this guy is just a slick phony.. salesman who no body knows outside of cable news political nerds….but it’s paid off for him. Governor? Not. This guy lost to Charlie Christ who DeSantis beat by 20 points. Get a grip.
Deplorable Pinellas
March 26, 2025 at 6:26 am
And he recently joined the Anti-Luna squad to try and garnish support from the democratic activist groups. He’s just playing the game
JustBabs
March 26, 2025 at 11:10 am
Jolly has a clean background, so far, but the fact that he did not fall victim to the MAGA disease is a huge asset in an elected public servant. He also doesn’t spit hate and vitrio, for humans, attempt to force weird beliefs on others, and is lacking the criminal behavior, as is usual and expected of Trump, MAGA Congressmembers and Trump appointees. No known sexual assault, no rape, no child sexual assault and we’ve yet to hear anything about him stealing large amounts of money from the taxpayer till and/or committing fraud. All of this behavior is a feature of MAGA governing and is considered to be lawful, only for MAGA leaders. MAGA cult members actually admire such behavior in the Masters.
Diddy Ever
March 26, 2025 at 6:10 am
“But we don’t have a multiparty system in the U.S.”
There are 16 political parties in Florida. SIXTEEN!
We certainly do have a multiparty system. What we don’t have is a body politic that can be gulled into giving its allegiance to a passel of radical wingnuts who can’t get their noses out of 19th Century communist literature. Whether you call them Greens or Forwards or Libertarians or anarchists, they’re all the same: wheel spinners who spend their declining years wondering why the rest of America cannot understand how morally upright they are.
Jolly doesn’t know what he is talking about. Did he ever?
JustBabs
March 26, 2025 at 11:13 am
None of those other parties have enough funding to get any momentum, in US elections. Its all about the massive amounts of money. Thanks to Republican policies and corruption. Money trumps people, is their mantra.
Deplorable Pinellas
March 26, 2025 at 6:23 am
So he’s a flip flop like Charlie. We have always known he’s a Democrat so about time he registered as one. He still won’t beat Byron.
JustBabs
March 26, 2025 at 11:16 am
Bryon is nothing but a lazy thug looking for an opportunity to enrich himself. He’d be just as bad as Desantis, with more criminal background.
just sayin
March 26, 2025 at 1:18 pm
“Thug”? We get it, he’s black.
just sayin
March 26, 2025 at 1:19 pm
Pizzo is a much better candidate for the Dems. He’d turn out the Dem base and attract moderates.
SuzyQ
March 27, 2025 at 12:20 am
Casey ’26!
Skeptic
March 27, 2025 at 4:09 pm
Agree with some commenters above — Jolly appears to be a rational Republican who talks a good game as an American. Still, after the Crist debacle, might be better for the Democrats to field one of their own, if they can find one with ANY appeal. Stop looking for crossover appeal to the MAGA infected — try to court the independents with one of your own.
KathrynA
March 28, 2025 at 8:48 am
I like Jolly; he is a reasonable man and looks at both sides and analyzes the situation well. He cares about people and the state of Florida–not seeing how fast he can destroy everything worthwhile. Let’s get behind him!
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