Ex-GOP lawmaker mulls run for Florida governor — as a Dem

During his years in the U.S. House of Representatives, then-Rep. David Jolly (R-Florida) was known for being a moderate Republican. Jolly leaned conservative but wasn't far-right.

Like many other Never Trumpers, however, Jolly expressed his disdain for President Donald Trump and the MAGA movement by leaving the GOP in 2018 and becoming an independent. And he is often featured as a pundit on MSNBC, which leans liberal but has some conservative hosts and often features Never Trumpers as guests.

Now, according to Politico, Jolly may be planning to run for governor of Florida — as a Democrat.

READ MORE: 'Repressive tactics': Highly-respected global org issues Kristi Noem a warning

In an article published on April 24, Politico reporters Kimberly Leonard and Gary Fineout explain, "Former Republican Rep. David Jolly, who has made a national name for himself as a vocal opponent of President Donald Trump, took a step Thursday toward a possible run for governor of Florida in 2026 by launching a state political committee. Jolly, 52, also switched his no-party affiliation voter registration to Democrat on Wednesday afternoon, (April 23), which would make him eligible to run statewide under the party’s ticket by next year's qualification period in June."

Jolly, Leonard and Fineout note, "first told Politico he was weighing the decision to run to succeed Gov. Ron DeSantis in an interview" in late March.

The Politico journalists report, "Jolly's political committee will allow him to start raising money for a possible 2026 statewide run, and he posted details about his biography and policy positions at DavidJolly.com. A state committee can accept unlimited sums from companies and individual donors, and candidates are allowed to be directly involved in their operation and decision-making — which isn’t the case for federal campaign committees."

When Jolly, an attorney, was serving in Congress via the U.S. House during the 2010s, Florida was still considered a swing state and was known for close, nail-biter elections. In presidential elections, Florida went to Republican George W. Bush in 2000 and 2004 but to Democrat Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012 — before going to Trump in 2016.

In Florida's 2018 gubernatorial race, Democratic nominee and former Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum narrowly lost to now-Gov. DeSantis. But in 2022, DeSantis ran as a far-right culture warrior and was reelected by 19 percent. And many political strategists now consider Florida deep red, not a swing state.

Nonetheless, political strategist Eric Hyers is expressing optimism about Jolly's chances if he does run for Florida governor as a Democrat.

Hyers told Politico, "Jolly is a really pragmatic person. And in this cycle, people are not focused on the letter in front of your name — they want people they trust who do what they think is right and put them first."