David Jolly is now a Democrat and moving closer to running for governor

Former Pinellas County Republican U.S. Rep. David Jolly is making moves indicating that he is close to entering the Democratic race for Florida governor in 2026.

As first reported by Politico Thursday morning, Jolly, a political independent for the past seven years, registered as a Democrat Wednesday and simultaneously launched a state political committee, enabling him to begin raising money for a potential candidacy.

A former aide to Pinellas GOP Congressman C.W. “Bill” Young, Jolly served for nearly three years in Congress (2014-2017) before becoming a national figure as a cable news analyst for MSNBC (where his contact has been paused since he began exploring a gubernatorial run, according to a source with the network).

As an indication of his intentions, Jolly has hired Democratic campaign strategist Eric Hyers as an adviser. Among the successful campaigns Hyers has been involved was Montana Gov. Steve Bullock’s re-election victory in 2016. That was the same year Donald Trump won that state by more than 20 percentage points.

“Eric Hyers has proven that he can help elect Democratic candidates in gubernatorial races in either red states or red-wave elections,” Jolly told the Phoenix in a phone interview. “And he may be the most talented political professional in the country today, so I’m excited that he’s agreed to advise on the entire 2026 cycle, and that includes whether I become a candidate or not.”

Jolly has been attending Democratic town-hall meetings since he announced that he was considering a run for governor a month ago, and he says those meetings have encouraged him to step back into the political arena. The intensity displayed in these events in reaction to the first months of the second iteration of a Trump presidency shows that Democrats have a chance to win back voters disaffected by the party in recent years, he said.

“Democrats are turning out and they’re showing up and they want to be active,” he said, adding that he has been asking for a show of hands of people who have never previously attended such events.

“Usually about a third of the audience is a first-time attendee, which shows that new voters and new converts, if you will, are excited about the Democratic Party. I will tell you that it is an enthusiastic Democratic party right now,” he said. “We talk openly about my prospects of running for governor, and I am incredibly encouraged by the kindness and the support that I get at these town halls, and obviously that goes into my decision making.”

Praise for Donalds

Republicans around the country have faced hostile crowds when they’ve hosted town halls this year, leading top GOP officials such as House Speaker Mike Johnson to advise that they don’t attend them.

One Republican member of Congress who hasn’t shown a reluctance to engage with his voters is Byron Donalds, the biggest name so far to enter the 2026 sweepstakes for governor in Florida. Jolly says that’s admirable.

“I commend Bryon Donalds for holding town halls,” he said. “I saw [Southeast Florida Republican Congressman] Brian Mast just had three, and one of the asks in these town halls is where is our member of Congress? And so kudos to Byron Donalds for showing up and having the conversation.”

The former Republican says he’s been watching closely the allegations over the past month regarding the Hope Florida Foundation, nonprofit arm of Hope Florida, the welfare assistance program connected to First Lady Casey DeSantis.

“We’ve already codified corruption in the state statute to allow it in many areas,” Jolly said. “Remarkably, this may be an area where the governor and First Lady have gone too far and even acted outside of what type of corruption is already allowed.”

Jolly has said that if he does enter the contest, the affordability crisis in the Sunshine State will be front and center of his candidacy. He also wants to talk about gun safety, which is back in the headlines following the shootings last week at Florida State University in Tallahassee.

“I think leaders sometimes have to lead in shaping public opinion and taking hard positions when you know it’s right. And you know, if you look at the website — and I’ve said this many times on TV — I support an assault weapons ban.

“I think we need comprehensive and universal background checks, and what I mean by that is universal means every transaction — between families, gun shows, you name it. But comprehensive means more than what we’re currently checking. We basically currently check for a criminal conviction. I support the red flag laws. I think we should expand the Parkland package that was passed and what some Republicans want to roll back. I just think we need leaders to lead on reducing gun violence. It’s not that hard.”

Whomever the Democrats nominate as their gubernatorial choice in 2026, that candidate will be an decided underdog, as Republicans have won races for governor, senator, and president by more than double digits over the past two election cycles.

Republicans scoff

Republican Party of Florida Chairman Evan Power scoffed at the news that Jolly has joined the Democratic Party.

“It’s good to know Never Trumper and failed MSNBC analyst has found his true home in the irrelevant @FlaDems.” Power wrote on X. “I welcome him to run for Governor, the nearly 40% of the electorate that voted for @CharlieCrist deserve an equally bad choice this cycle.”

Leon County Democratic Executive Committee Chair Ryan Ray said that he welcomed Jolly to the Democratic Party and called it a “great sign of the emerging 2026 Democratic midterm wave that MAGA is already alienating longtime Republicans like David Jolly, turned off by the Constitutional chaos and economic damage of MAGA.”

Ryan wondered, however, how much support there might be for Jolly from elements of the party.

“Personally, I’ll be looking for a candidate with a longer track record of standing up against GOP extremism,” he said in a text message. “Party switchers have historically not won.”

Jolly said last month that he’ll likely announce his candidacy before June. “I remain very serious about it and will make a decision around Memorial Day, but certainly it is under the strongest possible consideration.”

This story has been updated to include Jolly’s current status with MSNBC.