David Jolly desires to be Florida’s subsequent governor, however his previous phrases and evolving positions are already igniting backlash — not simply from Republicans, however from inside his personal get together.
In a resurfaced 2023 MSNBC interview (see under), Jolly appeared to brush off the Second Modification solely.
“Perhaps I don’t [agree with the Second Amendment]. I don’t care,” he stated. He additionally known as for Individuals to “crush the tradition of weapons,” making clear he helps sweeping gun management measures.
These feedback at the moment are coming again to hang-out him as he begins laying the groundwork for a gubernatorial run in probably the most pro-gun state within the nation.
🎥🎥 NEW AD: Florida Democrat David Jolly desires to remove your Second Modification rights ⬇️⬇️ pic.twitter.com/KcPr9Z004a
— Byron Battle Room (@ByronWarRoom) July 28, 2025
Florida GOP Chairman Evan Energy didn’t maintain again in his response. “David Jolly’s agenda is a direct assault on the Structure,” Energy stated.
“He’s out of step, out of contact, and out of possibilities. Florida rejects gun management, rejects socialism, and rejects Jolly.”
Jolly, as soon as a Republican congressman, has since jumped ship to develop into a Democrat — drawing comparisons to former governor and serial party-switcher Charlie Crist.
Energy took goal on the transformation, calling Jolly “Temu Charlie,” a knockoff model of Crist’s failed model of politics.
Nevertheless it’s not simply the Second Modification that’s elevating eyebrows.
In a latest interview with CBS Miami’s Going through South Florida, Jolly tried to clarify his shifting stance on abortion. As soon as a co-sponsor of federal laws to outline life as starting at conception, Jolly now says he helps abortion rights and backs Florida’s Modification 4 to revive Roe v. Wade-style protections.
“I’d be a pro-choice governor,” Jolly stated. He claims his political journey displays progress, not opportunism. “A part of serving is studying,” he informed host Jim DeFede, saying he now believes authorities ought to keep out of faith-based choices like reproductive well being.
J
olly additionally weighed in on immigration and legal justice, blasting Governor DeSantis’s detention middle plans close to the Everglades — dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz” — and opposing the 287(g) agreements that flip native regulation enforcement into federal immigration brokers.
“Republican leaders in Tallahassee are attacking communities,” Jolly stated. “We’re not going to have a good time cruelty.”
On taxes, Jolly rejected Republican proposals to remove property taxes as fantasy math. He floated focused aid for first-time homebuyers as a substitute, calling for “generational property tax reform” with out defunding police, schooling, or water infrastructure.
When requested whether or not Florida firms pay sufficient taxes, Jolly accused Republicans of making a gift of billions to particular pursuits. He supported mixed reporting guidelines to maintain company earnings in-state and fund providers.
Jolly additionally pitched a “10-year renaissance” in public schooling. He promised a 30% trainer pay increase over a number of years and stricter accountability for personal voucher faculties, arguing public faculties are outperforming their non-public counterparts regardless of decrease funding and growing political assaults.
Jolly claims he’s “post-ideological” — a former Republican and unbiased who now identifies as a Democrat. “I simply need huge concepts to resolve huge issues,” he stated.
However for voters in Florida — particularly the state’s vocal Second Modification base — Jolly’s “huge concepts” could sound extra like a risk than an answer.
With Republicans holding a 1.3 million voter registration benefit and grassroots activists already mobilizing, Jolly’s path to the governor’s mansion could also be much less about evolution — and extra about survival.
