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David Jolly

David Jolly is a former Member of Congress, attorney, and fifth-generation Floridian running for Florida Governor in 2026. His campaign focuses on historic homeowner's insurance reform, expanding primary healthcare services, and investing in community public schools. Jolly believes everyone deserves access to work, wages, and wealth, with rights protected and dignity celebrated regardless of background.

Thinking for yourself matters

Position on major issues

Abortion and reproductive policy

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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While in Congress, he was known as a common-sense Republican working across the aisle on issues like campaign finance reform, gun violence prevention, reproductive freedom, and the environment.

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Agriculture and rural policy

Florida has one of the largest economies in the world, but it has been hindered by short-term political thinking. Florida should become a leading technology economy and invest in a renewed agriculture economy with a vision for the next century. We should continue to grow our tourist economy and should retain Florida's top talent while attracting the world's brightest minds and creators.

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Rural counties have been hit hardest by healthcare gaps. Jolly's plan scales community health centers in every county, including rural areas where private practices are unviable, and stabilizes rural hospital revenue by reducing uncompensated care through Medicaid expansion.

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Rural districts face compounding challenges: shrinking enrollment, higher per-pupil costs, and the most severe teacher shortages (especially in special education, science, and math). Jolly's plan to raise teacher pay statewide would help rural districts compete for talent, and expanded state funding would help them maintain operations as local tax bases decline.

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Artificial intelligence

“Gwen and I have proposed an immediate moratorium on the construction of hyperscale data centers in the state of Florida, and it's for several reasons.”

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“The people of Florida are rightly concerned that what's going to happen to this neighborhood is going to happen to theirs, and they're demanding that local officials not build these data centers.”

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David Jolly and Gwen Graham have proposed an immediate moratorium on the construction of hyperscale data centers in Florida, and David says they would issue it on their first day in office. His reasons are the strain on Florida's water, power, and natural resources; what these facilities do to the neighborhoods and property values around them; and serious questions about the long term economic payoff that he says have yet to be answered. He also says voters across Florida are telling their leaders they do not want data centers, and that leaders should listen.

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“I'm not convinced that the long-term economic impact justifies the building of data centers in the state of Florida. We benefit from construction jobs, but the long-term economic impact has yet to be proven.”

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“Gwen and I are going to lead the state in an area of environmental protection, of economic integrity, of community resilience, but we're also going to listen to voters who right now are telling us don't build data centers in the state of Florida.”

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Civil rights and freedoms

Government should protect individual freedom and stay out of deeply personal decisions.

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Freedom means trusting people with their own lives. Government shouldn't claim to support freedom while increasingly inserting itself into personal decisions, local communities and private lives. David's platform explicitly frames individual agency and freedom from government interference as a governing principle.

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Culture wars divide and demonize. Florida should reject the politics of division and hate, and instead create a home where everyone is valued, respected, and welcomed. We should become a place where everyone is given dignity and treated equally, regardless of race, creed, or color; and regardless of who you love or who you worship. Florida should embrace our immigrant community and celebrate their contributions to our state's culture and economy.

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Keeping government out of your doctor's office. Keeping government out of your bedroom. Keeping government from overruling communities simply because politicians in the state capital don't like the decisions those communities make.

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Criminal justice and policing

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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Economy, jobs and wages

Florida has one of the largest economies in the world, but it has been hindered by short-term political thinking. Florida should become a leading technology economy and invest in a renewed agriculture economy with a vision for the next century. We should continue to grow our tourist economy and should retain Florida's top talent while attracting the world's brightest minds and creators.

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Small businesses struggle to offer coverage because they cannot get the group rates large employers negotiate. Medicaid expansion would let your lowest-paid workers have a coverage option instead of being stuck in the coverage gap, and it stabilizes the market where you and your employees buy insurance.

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So, communities are told the project will pay for its own water and power and lift the local economy. David's answer: “I think Florida's voters realize it's all a ruse. What ends up happening is you devalue real estate, you disrupt communities, you raise public health concerns.”

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“I'm not convinced that the long-term economic impact justifies the building of data centers in the state of Florida. We benefit from construction jobs, but the long-term economic impact has yet to be proven.”

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Education

Too many Florida families are locked out of our state's flagship universities. Florida is fortunate to be home to some of our nation's leading colleges and universities, but it only benefits Florida families if our students can gain admission. Qualified Florida students should have preferred application status for Florida's universities.

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That means paying teachers what they deserve. Supporting the people who show up every day to educate, guide, and inspire the next generation.

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Public education should be the foundation. The place where every child, regardless of zip code, has access to opportunity, support, and a real path forward.

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Jolly wants to dramatically increase teacher pay as part of a 10-year public education renaissance. He proposes redirecting Tourist Development Tax revenue (currently used for convention centers and tourism promotion) toward teacher pay and school infrastructure, which would require legislative change.

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Jolly proposes expanding the allowed uses of Florida's Tourist Development Tax (over $1 billion per year statewide) to include teacher pay and school infrastructure. His framing: Florida doesn't have a crisis of convention centers, it has a crisis of public education.

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Elections and voting

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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David then spent seven years as an independent, organizing voters throughout the country around democracy protection, ending gerrymandering, opening primaries, and reforming our broken campaign finance laws.

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Across Florida, voters continue to use their vote to choose the direction of their state and their community. But Tallahassee politicians preempt the will of the voters based on selfish ideological whims. Direct democracy in Florida should be easier, not harder. Florida should respect home rule, and support the implementation of successful voter initiatives in communities across the state. Florida should make constitutional amendments easier for voters to place on the ballot, and if an amendment gets more than 50% of the vote, the Governor should fight to enact it on behalf of the people.

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While in Congress, he was known as a common-sense Republican working across the aisle on issues like campaign finance reform, gun violence prevention, reproductive freedom, and the environment.

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Energy

Florida leaders should unleash clean and renewable energies across the Sunshine State, requiring greater integration of clean energy technologies into our public utilities. Environmentally sound energy technologies provide for greater stewardship of our environment, protect our tourist and environmental economy, and can drive down utility costs for all Florida consumers.

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Electricity is not a luxury, and over-the-top profits for the biggest utilities should not come out of your monthly budget. Florida regulators have let investor-owned power companies earn some of the fattest returns in the nation while families ration the air conditioning in the summer heat. We will push to cap utility profits in line with the national average and put that money back where it belongs, in your pocket.

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The cap would bring Florida's authorized utility return in line with the national average of roughly 9 to 10 percent. Utilities in other states earning that rate continue to invest in grid modernization and storm hardening, there is no evidence that matching the national norm suppresses investment.

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We also need leaders that listen to voters, and voters across the state of Florida right now are saying we don't want data centers.

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It dramatically lowers insurance premiums by creating a statewide catastrophic fund. It reduces monthly electric bills by capping utility company profits. It scales up workforce and affordable housing construction with down-payment assistance for first-time buyers. Our plan protects renters through expanded affordable housing programs and, to help condo owners cover special assessments, it offers no-interest state-backed loans.

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Environment and climate

Florida is home to remarkable ecosystems, waterways, and coastlines. The state's management of these resources has been insufficient. Florida should accept the science of climate change, protect our beaches and state parks, and invest in resiliency throughout the state. Florida should adopt a sustainability agenda that conserves our natural resources and grows an economy reliant on tourism, fisheries, hospitality, and outdoor living.

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“The environmental impact is something that still, I think, requires further study. Even the protections in place, I think, are insufficient for protection of the water, the aquifer, and what it means to continue to strain an already strained aquifer.”

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David calls Florida's aquifer already strained. His position is that you need to find out what a project like that does to the water before you build it, not after.

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So, communities are told the project will pay for its own water and power and lift the local economy. David's answer: “I think Florida's voters realize it's all a ruse. What ends up happening is you devalue real estate, you disrupt communities, you raise public health concerns.”

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We will fight for a system that treats hurricane risk as the shared statewide challenge it is, so a single storm season doesn't decide whether you keep your house.

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Firearms policy

Florida suffers needlessly from gun violence. Responsible gun owners are not the problem, but lax gun laws are. Its time politicians in Tallahassee do more, protecting responsible gun owners' rights while passing common-sense reforms. Florida should ban the sale of assault weapons, require universal and comprehensive background checks, explore licensing, and preserve and expand the red flag laws enacted following the tragedy at Parkland.

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While in Congress, he was known as a common-sense Republican working across the aisle on issues like campaign finance reform, gun violence prevention, reproductive freedom, and the environment.

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Healthcare

Medicaid is a critical program for Florida. It supports childbirth care for women and infants, long-term care for seniors, care for those with special needs and unique abilities, and is a critical funding source for hospitals across the state. In the face of cuts from Washington and Tallahassee, Florida should commit to expanding Medicaid and ensuring healthcare for all Floridians.

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David Jolly's health care plan for Florida expands Medicaid to cover hundreds of thousands of uninsured Floridians and invests in more primary care clinics throughout the state so people can access care when and where they need it, regardless of income. Medicaid expansion can start within months once the Legislature approves it, with coverage beginning in the first year. Jolly proposes a five-year pilot to dramatically expand community health centers in every Florida county so care is available, not just coverage on paper.

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Expanding Medicaid is part of the solution. It would provide coverage to hundreds of thousands of Floridians who are currently left without access to care.

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That's why Florida should invest in more primary healthcare clinics throughout the state. Places where people can go, regardless of income, to receive basic care, support, and treatment.

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Because expansion provides coverage, but people still need somewhere to actually get care. Jolly proposes a 5-year pilot to dramatically expand community health centers in every Florida county so new enrollees can connect with primary care providers, not just have coverage on paper.

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Housing

Floridians pay the highest home insurance prices in America. Here is the plan to cut them by 60 to 70 percent.

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The property insurance crisis is the primary reason so many people in Florida are struggling to afford a place to live. From renters to retirees to homeowners, the burden of property insurance continues to make housing costs in Florida unaffordable for many. A state catastrophic fund that removes natural disaster risk from the private insurance market would dramatically reduce property and car insurance rates, restoring affordability and price stability for millions of Floridians. Allowing condominium associations and owners access to a no-interest state-backed loan program would likewise address the crushing financial burden of generational condominium repairs.

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The private sector should lead. Government doesn't have to run everything to make people's lives better. Businesses, entrepreneurs, workers and communities create growth and opportunity. Government should create the conditions for that to happen. But when a market is clearly failing Floridians, the answer cannot simply be to watch it fail. David's housing and insurance proposals include public-private approaches and government intervention where Florida's insurance market is no longer delivering affordable outcomes.

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No family should have to choose between insuring their home and keeping the lights on. Florida pays the highest homeowners' premiums in the country, and too many carriers have walked away, leaving people stranded. We will fight for a system that treats hurricane risk as the shared statewide challenge it is, so a single storm season doesn't decide whether you keep your house.

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You cannot fix a shortage by wishing it away, and Florida is short the homes its growing families need. We will invest in the tools that work, from workforce housing to real down-payment help for first-time buyers, so a nurse, a teacher, or a young couple can find a place they can afford. Building more is how we bring prices back within reach.

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Immigration

Culture wars divide and demonize. Florida should reject the politics of division and hate, and instead create a home where everyone is valued, respected, and welcomed. We should become a place where everyone is given dignity and treated equally, regardless of race, creed, or color; and regardless of who you love or who you worship. Florida should embrace our immigrant community and celebrate their contributions to our state's culture and economy.

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Infrastructure and transportation

Limited government doesn't have to mean ineffective government. Floridians pay taxes and expect basic institutions to function. Schools should work. Roads and infrastructure should work. Insurance markets should work. Health care should be accessible. Public safety should work. And when something isn't working, government should be willing to fix it rather than defend a broken system because the solution doesn't fit neatly inside an ideological box.

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Local control

Florida is a big, diverse state. What works for Key West may not be what Jacksonville wants. David's position is that local communities should have meaningful authority to make local decisions.

davidjolly.com ·

Across Florida, voters continue to use their vote to choose the direction of their state and their community. But Tallahassee politicians preempt the will of the voters based on selfish ideological whims. Direct democracy in Florida should be easier, not harder. Florida should respect home rule, and support the implementation of successful voter initiatives in communities across the state. Florida should make constitutional amendments easier for voters to place on the ballot, and if an amendment gets more than 50% of the vote, the Governor should fight to enact it on behalf of the people.

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Keeping government out of your doctor's office. Keeping government out of your bedroom. Keeping government from overruling communities simply because politicians in the state capital don't like the decisions those communities make.

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Social Security and retirement

Retirees face acute pressures from condo special assessments and rising property insurance. The no-interest state-backed condo loan is targeted directly at fixed-income condo owners who can't absorb a six-figure special assessment, and the catastrophic fund insurance savings would also hit hardest for retirees who often pay insurance directly.

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Taxes and government spending

No. The plan uses Florida tax dollars already being collected, paired with a 9-to-1 federal match. The state share is offset by reduced emergency care costs, lower uncompensated care payments, and increased tax revenue from a stronger healthcare workforce.

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Jolly wants to dramatically increase teacher pay as part of a 10-year public education renaissance. He proposes redirecting Tourist Development Tax revenue (currently used for convention centers and tourism promotion) toward teacher pay and school infrastructure, which would require legislative change.

davidjolly.com ·

Jolly proposes expanding the allowed uses of Florida's Tourist Development Tax (over $1 billion per year statewide) to include teacher pay and school infrastructure. His framing: Florida doesn't have a crisis of convention centers, it has a crisis of public education.

davidjolly.com ·

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.

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Long-term owners pay far less property tax than new buyers for the same house thanks to Save Our Homes caps, and the structural result is that the median first-time buyer age has risen sharply.

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Technology and privacy

“Gwen and I have proposed an immediate moratorium on the construction of hyperscale data centers in the state of Florida, and it's for several reasons.”

davidjolly.com ·

“The people of Florida are rightly concerned that what's going to happen to this neighborhood is going to happen to theirs, and they're demanding that local officials not build these data centers.”

davidjolly.com ·

David Jolly and Gwen Graham have proposed an immediate moratorium on the construction of hyperscale data centers in Florida, and David says they would issue it on their first day in office. His reasons are the strain on Florida's water, power, and natural resources; what these facilities do to the neighborhoods and property values around them; and serious questions about the long term economic payoff that he says have yet to be answered. He also says voters across Florida are telling their leaders they do not want data centers, and that leaders should listen.

davidjolly.com ·

“I'm not convinced that the long-term economic impact justifies the building of data centers in the state of Florida. We benefit from construction jobs, but the long-term economic impact has yet to be proven.”

davidjolly.com ·

“Gwen and I are going to lead the state in an area of environmental protection, of economic integrity, of community resilience, but we're also going to listen to voters who right now are telling us don't build data centers in the state of Florida.”

davidjolly.com ·

Veterans

Florida is home to one of the largest veteran populations in the United States. We are fortunate to have men and women from all generations who have honorably served across all service branches. In the face of federal cuts and drawback of services, Florida should lead the nation in filling the gap of critical services for those who have served our nation in uniform.

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Emergency management

We will fight for a system that treats hurricane risk as the shared statewide challenge it is, so a single storm season doesn't decide whether you keep your house.

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Other statements

“Elected politicians, candidates, you either lead or you follow, and rarely do you have the opportunity to do both.”

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