Trump's Florida Problem Gets Worse as David Jolly Speaks Out

When David Jolly, the Democratic candidate for governor of Florida, got into a cab in Washington, D.C., the driver recognized him and said, “I voted for Donald Trump. I wanted somebody to break everything. But I don’t think he can fix it. I just needed somebody to break it.” That moment crystallizes what Jolly sees as the central dynamic of the 2026 election in Florida and beyond: voters wanted disruption, got it, and now realize the people who broke things were the ones causing the problems all along.

Jolly, a former Republican congressman turned Democrat, is running against MAGA candidate Byron Donalds in a race that has become a referendum on the Trump administration’s broken promises. Recent polling shows Jolly at 49% to Donalds’ 43%, a lead that Jolly says reflects a “change election cycle” rather than a pure ideological shift toward Democrats. He is careful not to overstate the enthusiasm: “If the election were tonight, we’d win. But let’s be careful not to presume we’ve won hearts and minds. We’re not registering a lot more Democrats. But voters are giving Democrats an opportunity to lead.”

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