Former Congresswoman Gwen Graham, a potential running mate, also took the stage.
Gubernatorial candidate David Jolly deftly worked a capacity crowd, as evidenced by the repeated shouts and standing ovations, Thursday night in St. Petersburg.
Attendees at NOVA 535 may have also caught an early glimpse of Jolly and his running mate in action. Florida’s leading Democratic candidate in the 2026 governor’s race shared a stage with former Congresswoman Gwen Graham for the first time.
Many political insiders believe Graham, daughter of popular former Gov. Bob Graham, is a frontrunner to join the Jolly ticket. State Sen. Tina Polsky, Pinellas County Commissioner Rene Flowers, Escambia County Commissioner Lumon May and Orange County Property Appraiser Amy Mercado also spoke at the event, which primarily focused on the state’s ongoing affordability crisis.
“No decision has been made on the lieutenant governor spot, but I know we’re going to go very early,” Jolly told the Catalyst. “We’re not going to wait for August. I anticipate a decision sometime soon.
“Whether or not it’s Gwen (Graham), I know she has an incredible place in Florida politics still to come, and I’m excited about it.”
Jolly, a Pinellas County native, tapped Flowers to serve as the event’s master of ceremonies. Flowers credited the former Republican’s willingness to work across the aisle and for choosing to become a Democrat when personal and party values no longer aligned.
Graham, who served in Congress with Jolly, was a top candidate for governor in 2018 and held an executive position with the U.S. Department of Education until January, noted the two comprised half of the Florida Bipartisan Caucus during their time on Capitol Hill.
“We sponsored legislation together that would have solved real problems facing Americans and Floridians,” Graham said. “Wouldn’t it be great if we could get back to that?”
Graham said Jolly’s focus on bringing Floridians together reminds her of her late father. Graham also noted that the event marked the first time she had publicly discussed Florida’s future since he died in April 2024.
Jolly began and ended a roughly 50-minute speech by expressing confidence in becoming Florida’s first Democratic governor since 1998, when former Gov. Lawton Chiles died in office, by building a statewide coalition of disenchanted voters across the political spectrum.
“By next summer, people are going to look at this campaign and not see a candidate – they’re going to see themselves,” Jolly pledged. “And that’s how we’re going to win.”
The event marked Jolly’s 130th campaign stop since he announced his candidacy in June. While it is “always wonderful to be home,” Jolly said he is “running to be the governor of the entire state, not just Pinellas County.”
Jolly, a proud Christian, said “personal and private faith” should stop at the steps to the governor’s mansion. He then highlighted shared values that influenced his decision to run.
The affordability crisis is affecting all residents, Jolly said, and the “economy is not working for everybody.” He also believes the state is exhausted by ongoing culture wars.
Jolly said the government can improve lives when the private sector fails to serve all residents. He believes everyone deserves access to affordable healthcare, a quality public education, a clean environment and safe communities.
“We’re losing the middle class,” Jolly said. “This is a generational moment. If we cannot correct it, it’s going to get away from us, and this entire state is going to be in a lot of trouble.”
He wants to remove hurricane and wind insurance from the private market and establish a sovereign wealth fund, which could reduce costs by over 60%. “I just call it cheaper insurance,” Jolly said.
He also advocated for property tax relief and first-time homebuyer assistance. Jolly broached the idea of an “across-the-board” homestead exemption of $150,000 to $200,000, provided the initiative is “fiscally responsible” and does not defund local government services.
Increasing investments in renewable energy and accepting climate science would “drive down costs for every rate payer,” Jolly said. He also admonished Republican leadership for “attacking local control.”
“If the City of St. Petersburg has a bright idea to create affordable rents through workforce housing or rent control, God bless you, go do that,” Jolly added. “The role of the governor is to stay out of the way.”
He pledged to expand Medicaid and ensure rural, low-income areas have access to primary care services. Jolly said the state should bolster funding for multimodal public transportation and accept federal money for high-speed rail.
While he is unsure if universal childcare benefits will work in Florida, Jolly wants to explore expanding the state’s lauded pre-K program. The School Choice program also came under fire, and he wants to allocate a percentage of tourism tax dollars to uplifting teachers and schools for 10 years.
“Just like Jeb Bush, 25 years ago, made the argument that he’s fighting for Florida’s kids and families, guess what? Now we are,” Jolly said. “Public education has been starved in the State of Florida.”
Perhaps the loudest applause of the evening came when Jolly said he would fire the state’s surgeon general, “remake the leadership of the state university system,” and surround himself with “subject matter experts who are smarter than I am.”
“We’re going to win, but that’s not going to be the story,” Jolly concluded. “The story is going to be that Florida’s voters, for the first time in three decades, have formed a new, emerging political coalition that we have not seen before.”