Former Rep. DAVID JOLLY took his Democratic conversion to a Methodist church in Plantation on Wednesday night.
The event, dubbed a “National Emergency Town Hall” and organized by a coalition of Democratic-leaning organizations, happened days after Jolly became a Democrat and launched a state political committee ahead of a potential run for governor. Jolly made the decision to join the party despite the shortfalls it has faced in fundraising and voter registration, and as Republicans and even several Florida Democrats view the current political apparatus in Florida as “dead.”
Jolly pushed back on any suggestion that Democrats had to change their values, and for about 90 minutes, he largely focused on casting himself as a centrist and urging Democrats to try to reach out to voters who aren’t affiliated with either political party. He called for Florida Democrats to employ more young people and allow all their statewide candidates to reach out to national donors. “I say this having been a registered Democrat for five days,” Jolly joked at one point.
He talked about his support for tax cuts for the working class, “law and order” and “equity in all communities.” He added that the government “exists to step in where private markets fail,” citing examples like property insurance and health care.
“Nothing described is hard or foreign or strange,” he argued. “It’s simply about meeting the voters exactly where they are.”
Jolly’s town hall happened to fall close to President DONALD TRUMP’s 100th day in office. And Trump’s policies loomed large over the meeting — with Jolly predicting (as many national and state Democrats have) that they’d create a favorable environment for Democrats in 2026.
“We have got work to do,” Jolly said. “I don’t believe it’s out of reach, especially in a cycle where the moment is meeting us halfway.”
Democratic voters gathered for a town hall at Plantation United Methodist Church on April 30, 2025. | Kimberly Leonard/POLITICO
He was in friendly territory, given that Broward is the bluest county in Florida. And the town hall of about 300 people wasn’t the typical environment politicians face when they hold elected office and take heat from angry constituents about their voting records; it was more like a political rally.
But the event also previewed how the Democratic electorate would have questions about Jolly’s past positions and those of the Republican Party more generally, including on firearms and climate change. Prompted to discuss the issue, Jolly said “climate science is real and should not be challenged.” On guns, he supported “universal and comprehensive” background checks and further study on whether mental health needed to be considered in firearms sales.
“Guns are the problem,” he said. “Unlimited unrestricted access to firearms is the problem.”
In another exchange, a woman stepped up to the microphone and told Jolly “we need to know your stance” on abortion rights. Jolly promised that if he were to run and be elected governor, he would introduce a bill that would codify Amendment 4, the ballot measure on abortion rights that fell short of passage during the 2024 election but gained a majority of votes. That measure would have allowed abortion in Florida until fetal viability, and after if a medical provider were to determine an abortion was needed for health or life-threatening concerns.
Jolly acknowledged there were votes from his time in Congress he regretted, and raised former Democratic gubernatorial candidate CHARLIE CRIST’s oft-used quote: “I didn’t leave the Republican Party, the Republican Party left me.”
Jolly paused, then said: “David Jolly left the Republican Party. Is it OK to change your mind in politics? Because I have. There are people who will want to talk about votes I took 10 years ago, and that’s fair. They should lead to conversations like we’re having right now.”