David Jolly
Former US Representative and Democratic candidate for Florida governor.
A University of North Florida poll fielded 8-17 July 2026 had Democrat David Jolly trailing Republican Byron Donalds 41% to 46% in Florida's governor's race, before Sabato's Crystal Ball moved the race to Likely Republican on 23 July.
Last refreshed: 26 July 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
Can a former Republican congressman now running as a Democrat close a 5-point gap?
Timeline for David Jolly
Trailed Byron Donalds 41% to 46% in a new Florida poll
US Midterms 2026: Sabato moves three races for governorBackground
Jolly represented Florida's 13th congressional district as a Republican from 2014 to 2017, before losing to Charlie Crist. He registered as a Democrat in 2025 and is now the Democratic candidate for Florida governor.
A University of North Florida poll fielded 8-17 July 2026 had Jolly trailing Donalds 41% to 46%. Sabato's Crystal Ball moved Florida's governor's race from SAFE Republican to Likely Republican on 23 July, citing Donalds' lead, though analyst J. Miles Coleman stopped short of calling the race truly competitive .
Neither party defends an incumbent governor in Florida this November, an open-seat dynamic that tends to narrow polling gaps as election day nears .