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WATCH • THE CAMPAIGN

The Man Behind the Campaign

By David Jolly for Governor Published: 2025-05-26 Last updated: 2025-05-26
The Man Behind the Campaign

Key moments

0:35

"He does his best to race home as soon as he's done in another part of the state and be here for morning drop off with us."

1:00

"David is my favorite person in the world. He's good. He is just a good, kind, smart person."

2:31

"When you have a chance to change the world, you take it. That's what daddy says all the time."

Context

Politics has a way of flattening people. This video shows the man behind the race: a father balancing morning drop-offs and campaign stops, a husband whose family knows what he's asking of them, a candidate whose kids understand the stakes.

What's Said

The Jolly family walks through the daily chaos of running for governor. Laura, David's wife, describes the balancing act. The kids name the hardest parts. Friends and family explain why he's the right person for the moment. The full transcript is below.

Transcript

Verified transcript of the video above.

0:04 Laura Jolly: Like any family who has two little kids or more, just every day is a little bit of chaos, but good chaos.
0:15 Laura: Every day is different. And so we are tackling a huge state. David's on the trail as much as he can be, which is hard on our kids. You know, they're used to daddy being here every night and every morning. And so he does his best to race home as soon as he's done in another part of the state and be here for morning drop off with us.
0:35 Off camera: What do you think about running for governor?
0:37 CC Jolly: I do not like it.
0:40 Family friend: He's the guy who takes the morning, dropped his kids off, rushes to doing a little event and rushes back to have lunch with his daughter because that's his commitment. Or ensure he's home to take them to bed and tuck him in. Whatever. You know, those commitments and the little things are.
1:00 Laura: David is my favorite person in the world, so I hate having to share him, but he's the right person. I don't know anyone else who is as selfless as David. He's good. He is just a good, kind, smart person. I think who you see on the campaign trail is who I get to see at home. He is a man of his word, and that's who David is.
1:21 Teddy Jolly: Daddy lets us put water in the bounce house, and then you play water slide and he takes care of us. And he went for governor.
1:31 Laura: He's just doing the best he can to be everywhere. But it's also hard on the home front just missing him.
1:38 Off camera: Do you miss your dad when he has to go away because he's running for governor?
1:42 Teddy: Oh yes.
1:43 Laura: But our kids are doing great. Luckily we have a huge support system, both friends and family, but they also get to come with us sometimes if it's kid appropriate, we love to show them where we're going in the state and introduce them to the community and get to see how they get to participate, because it's their state too, and it's their families race.
2:07 Laura: And so they hand out buttons, they hand out palm cards, and they get to shake people's hands and ask other people questions. And then after an event, they'll be running around at the town hall and meeting folks, and people really get to see who we are. We know we have the chance to do something really special here.
2:26 Laura: We would not have gotten into this race if we didn't feel like he was the right person for the right time, and that Florida is ready for change. I think the whole country is ready for change now.
2:31 Teddy: I know that, he says. When you have a chance to change the world, you take it. That's what daddy says all the time.

Related questions

Why is David Jolly running for governor?

The campaign believes Florida is ready for a leader who puts people over party. David Jolly is running because the state needs an approach that listens first, governs for everyone, and refuses to turn neighbors into enemies. See the video at 2:26 for Laura's take on why this is the right time.

What does David Jolly's family think about the campaign?

His wife Laura says he's the right person for the job, even though it means sharing him with the state. The kids miss him when he's on the road, but they understand the stakes. Watch the video at 1:00 and 1:38 to hear directly from the family.

How does David Jolly balance campaigning with being a father?

He races home for morning drop-offs. He makes it back for lunch with his daughter when he can. He tucks the kids in at night. The commitments are real. See the video at 0:35 for a family friend's description of the daily balancing act.

More on this topic

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