David Jolly

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I am running for Governor to build a Florida that is more affordable, more accountable, and more focused on the future. I believe government should improve people's lives, the economy should work for everyone, and every Floridian deserves dignity and equal opportunity. The first issue where I can make the greatest difference is affordability. Rising costs for housing, insurance, healthcare, childcare, and groceries have made it harder for working families to get ahead. I will support policies that strengthen workers' rights, raise wages, and create pathways to good-paying jobs. The second issue is education. Florida needs a renaissance in public education. I will fully fund neighborhood public schools, raise teacher pay, reduce overcrowding, expand student support services, and protect the independence and excellence of our colleges and universities. By making Florida more affordable and investing in education, we can create opportunity and security for every Floridian.

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Florida's environment is one of our greatest assets. Our beaches, springs, wetlands, rivers, and coastlines support tourism, recreation, agriculture, and local communities. Protecting them requires stronger stewardship and long-term planning. Florida must accept the science of climate change and invest in resilience against sea level rise, stronger storms, flooding, and saltwater intrusion. Building resilient infrastructure today will protect communities and save taxpayers money in the future. I support stronger enforcement against polluters, investments in wastewater and stormwater infrastructure, and accelerated restoration of the Everglades, springs, rivers, and estuaries. We must reduce harmful algal blooms and ensure clean water for future generations. We also need smart growth policies that protect wetlands, beaches, state parks, and environmentally sensitive lands from overdevelopment.

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Florida’s public lands are part of our shared heritage, and conservation is essential to our long‑term prosperity. As Governor and a member of the Board of Trustees, I would prioritize responsible stewardship, public access, and protecting natural resources for future generations—not short‑term interests. I support fully funding and expanding Florida Forever to preserve wildlife corridors, wetlands, springsheds, and working lands that safeguard water quality and reduce flooding. State parks should remain focused on conservation and recreation, not commercial development. I also support coastal resiliency, beach restoration, seagrass protection, and science‑based planning to address sea level rise. Strategic land acquisition and partnerships with local governments and conservation groups are key to protecting habitats and preventing costly environmental damage. Florida’s environment is the foundation of our economy and quality of life, and we must protect it for those who come after us.

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Florida’s housing crisis is pushing homeownership and stable rentals out of reach for working families, seniors, veterans, and young people. As Governor, I would focus on lowering costs by fully funding the Sadowski Housing Trust Fund and ensuring those dollars build affordable and workforce housing as intended. I support smart‑growth infrastructure, mixed‑income development, and removing unnecessary local barriers that restrict supply. Stabilizing the property insurance market is also essential, as rising premiums are driving the affordability crisis. To reduce homelessness, I support a Housing First approach that pairs permanent housing with mental health care, addiction treatment, job training, and healthcare. We must prioritize veterans, seniors, youth aging out of foster care, and families at risk of eviction. Housing is essential infrastructure, and every Floridian deserves safe, stable, affordable homes.

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Florida needs a ten-year renaissance in public education; a long‑term plan to strengthen public education by supporting teachers, improving curriculum, and keeping parents engaged as partners. The teacher shortage stems from years of low pay, rising living costs, burnout, and policies that have left educators feeling undervalued. I would prioritize higher salaries, housing assistance, loan forgiveness, and stronger mentorship and professional development to improve recruitment and retention. We must also improve school climate by reducing unnecessary bureaucracy and expanding mental health and behavioral supports. Curriculum should be high‑quality, evidence‑based, and focused on literacy, math, science, civics, financial literacy, CTE, and media literacy, free from partisan interference. Parents deserve transparency and meaningful involvement, and parental rights laws should encourage collaboration rather than conflict. We must value educators and support Florida families.

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Floridians are right to be more concerned about property insurance than property taxes because insurance costs have become one of the biggest threats to housing affordability. Premiums—not taxes—are now the primary driver of rising housing costs, affecting renters, homeowners, retirees, and condo owners. Stabilizing the insurance market must be a top priority. I support exploring a state catastrophic fund to remove natural‑disaster risk from the private market, lower premiums, and create long‑term price stability, while ensuring the system is actuarially sound and transparent. I also support no‑interest state‑backed loans to help condo owners cover required structural repairs that many—especially seniors—cannot afford. Florida must invest in resilience programs, strengthen homes against storms, and increase industry accountability so rate hikes are justified. Insurance affordability and housing affordability are inseparable, and restoring stability must be a core priority.

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David Jolly is a former Member of Congress, attorney, and nationally recognized television analyst who launched his bid for Governor in June of 2025. Since announcing his candidacy, David has traveled every corner of the state, hosting hundreds of town halls and community forums focused on improving the state’s economy. A person of deep faith, David believes everyone deserves a shot at work, wages, and wealth, and that their rights should be protected and their dignity celebrated, regardless of the color of one’s skin, where they were born, who they love, or who they worship.

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Florida has some of the weakest ethics and campaign finance rules of any state in the country. Incumbent politicians solicit unlimited money from corporations in clear relationship to official acts. Florida should lead the nation in campaign finance reform and a sweeping ethics package committed to transparency and to protecting Florida taxpayers from legalized graft in Tallahassee.

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Reproductive healthcare decisions should be made between women and their doctors, not politicians. Roe v. Wade and Casey v. Planned Parenthood provided a responsible, balanced framework for protecting these decisions. Absent federal legislation restoring these protections, Florida should codify the Roe/Casey framework.

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Investing in Climate Resiliency, Clean Water, and the Ocean Economy

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Whether you're a native born Floridian, an immigrant to our state, or a Tallahassee politician, if you break the law in Florida, you'll be held accountable. But Florida can also be a state that corrects disparities in criminal justice for communities of color and immigrant communities, promoting local control of community policing. It's time Florida fights crime, not communities.

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David has focused his campaign on historic groundbreaking homeowner’s insurance reform, the expansion of primary healthcare services, and investing in more community public schools. A fifth-generation Floridian and son of a minister, David and his wife Laura are raising their young family in Pinellas County.

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Public schools have been inadequately funded in the state of Florida for decades. We need to dramatically increase investment in Florida's public schools to provide higher quality public schools in more neighborhoods, with more teachers who earn a more competitive salary. Schools in Florida's private school voucher program need to meet the same high standards as our public schools. Private schools that accept vouchers should be required to provide the same specialized services public schools provide and not charge additional tuition. The voucher program should be means-tested to ensure funding is provided for families with demonstrated economic need.