Bad news for Donald Trump in Florida: The rise of David Jolly
David Jolly has emerged as the Democratic candidate for the Florida gubernatorial race, setting up a contest against Republican Byron Donalds. The race is framed as a clash between traditional political coalitions and the influence of Donald Trump's endorsement.
Why it matters
This race serves as a bellwether for the political climate in Florida and the effectiveness of Trump's influence on Republican primary outcomes.
After Lawton Chiles died suddenly in the Florida ’s governor mansion shortly before Christmas 1998, his funeral ceremony included a 300km procession that mirrored the famous 1,600km walk he had embarked from Century to Key West as a young senator in 1970. The idea was to connect with voters, and it worked.
“Walkin’ Lawton” was not just a two-term governor of Florida, he remains the last Democratic governor elected to office in the Sunshine State. Buddy Mackay served out the last 24 days of Chiles’s term before Jeb Bush was sworn in. On Tuesday night, though, David Jolly, the winner of Florida’s Democratic primary for the governor’s race, was adamant his campaign would return a Democrat to the mansion in Tallahassee.
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