“David Jolly is the leader this moment demands.”
That’s the message from Equality Florida’s Joe Saunders as the organization’s political action committee throws its support behind Jolly for governor.
Jolly is seeking the Democratic nomination in the Aug. 18 primary and most likely will face Republican frontrunner Byron Donalds in November.
Jolly’s most prominent Democratic rival, former Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings, suspended his campaign in June.
Jolly has already chosen a running mate: former U.S. Rep. Gwen Graham, who ran for governor herself in 2018, losing the Democratic primary.
Jolly is also a former Republican and not the first former Republican to seek the Governor’s Mansion as a Democrat. Most notably, former Gov. Charlie Crist was elected governor as a Republican in 2006 before eventually becoming an independent then Democrat and running for governor under that party’s banner in 2014 and 2022.
Equality Florida’s endorsement highlights Jolly's evolution from a Republican member of Congress to a Democratic candidate for governor, as well as a record on LGBTQ issues that stretches back more than a decade.
“Floridians are ready for change — for a state that gives everyone a fair shot, treats everyone with the dignity they deserve, and reflects our belief in a better, more equal future for all,” said Saunders, executive director of Equality Florida Action PAC, in the endorsement announcement.
Jolly represented the Tampa Bay area in Congress as a Republican from 2014 to 2017. In 2014, months after taking office, he publicly supported legal recognition of same-sex marriage, arguing that government should protect personal liberty while leaving the sanctity of marriage to individuals and their faith.
Still, history suggests an uphill battle for any Democrat in November.
In 2018, Republican Ron DeSantis defeated Democrat Andrew Gillum by just 0.4 percentage points. Four years later, Florida had turned sharply to the right: DeSantis won reelection by almost 20 points against Crist.
“Make no mistake; the pendulum is swinging back toward equality in America,” Saunders said. “Our community rejects the politicians who have spent years manufacturing hate and trying to divide us.”
The endorsement adds Florida’s largest LGBTQ civil rights organization to a growing list of groups backing Jolly. He has also picked up support from organized labor and educators, including the Florida AFL-CIO and Florida Education Association.
