Former Republican David Jolly runs as Democrat for Florida governor
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The gist
Former Republican U.S. Rep. David Jolly is the Democratic nominee for Florida governor, facing GOP Rep. Byron Donalds.
He must answer for a former boss indicted over an alleged $100 million theft.
Background
David Jolly is a former Republican U.S. Representative from a Tampa-area seat who left the party early in the Trump era and is now the Democratic nominee for Florida governor. He is running against Republican U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds; Florida has not elected a Democratic governor this century, and for the first time in eight years the state will have a governor not named Ron DeSantis. The race is drawing attention because Jolly, less than two weeks after launching his campaign in 2025, saw his former boss Leo Govoni indicted over an alleged scheme to siphon more than $100 million from a nonprofit managing assets of people with disabilities.
How it unfolded
- 2012Jolly began working at Govoni's Boston Finance Group, staying until early 2014.
- 2013Jolly earned $250,000 at the firm, according to House financial disclosures; his House campaign described him as a vice president there.
- 2014Jolly won his first election for a Tampa-area U.S. House seat; Govoni's son worked in his congressional office that year.
- 2016Govoni served as finance co-chair of Jolly's Senate run.
- 2025Less than two weeks after Jolly launched his Democratic campaign for Florida governor, a Tampa grand jury indicted Govoni for allegedly siphoning over $100 million from a nonprofit for people with disabilities.
- Jul 2026Jolly told voters in a video he was an employee of Govoni's at a separate company from which the theft later occurred.
- Oct 12, 2026Jolly and running mate Gwen Graham campaigned in Tallahassee with U.S. Rep. James Clyburn and former Rep. Al Lawson, meeting the FSU Black Student Union and holding a town hall at FAMU; he called himself the "Ted Lasso" of political discourse.
- Oct 14, 2026Former President Bill Clinton announced he would join Jolly in Hollywood, Fla., on Oct. 20 for an interfaith event, his first public campaign event of the 2026 cycle.
- Oct 15, 2026CBS News reported on Jolly confronting his prior ties to Govoni as he aims to turn the governor's office blue.
- Oct 16, 2026Jolly met pastors and Black voters in Deerfield Beach while Donalds campaigned in Miami; a fact-check of claims by both candidates was published.
- Oct 18, 2026EL PAÍS published an interview in which Jolly criticized Trump's immigration policy and his party's mistakes with Hispanic voters.
- Nov 3, 2026Floridians head to the polls in the gubernatorial election.
Who’s saying what
- Party
- Campaign senior advisor Mark Riddle says Jolly was one of over 100 W-2 employees among Govoni's companies, never held a fiduciary role, was never contacted by investigators, and has returned Govoni's political contributions to his victims.
- Jolly
- Jolly calls Govoni's alleged actions "raw cruelty" and says his own work was at a separate company, with Govoni's activities appearing to occur almost exclusively after he left.
- Caution
- CBS News frames the Govoni ties as an issue Jolly must confront as he seeks to flip the governor's office for Democrats.
Still unverified
Nothing in the court documents suggests Jolly knew about or was involved in the alleged scheme, and he has not been accused of any wrongdoing; the indictment's allegations against Govoni remain allegations.