Florida democrats David Jolly and Gwen Graham hold first joint campaign rally in Bay Area

TAMPA, Fla. - The presumptive Democratic nominees for Florida governor and lieutenant governor are rallying together for the first time in the Bay Area.

Joint Bay Area Democratic rally

What we know:

Former U.S. Rep. David Jolly picked former U.S. Rep. Gwen Graham to be his running-mate this week, as he seeks to become the first democrat to be elected governor since 1994.

Jolly's path to the nomination cleared after Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings announced he was withdrawing from the contest to focus on his battle with cancer.

Graham is the daughter of former Florida Gov. and Sen. Bob Graham, who died in 2024.

Bipartisan campaign messaging

What they're saying:

"I really wish I could have my dad to talk to," Graham said during an interview on Friday. "I thought about him a lot when I was making this decision and I actually know that he would be so excited and proud about the team that David and I have."

Jolly says he had no doubts about who he would select as his running mate.

"The day I decided to run for governor," Jolly said.

During their time in Congress, Jolly says he noticed Graham’s willingness to be bipartisan.

Graham says she noticed Jolly’s understanding of policy.

"Can you afford your house? Can you get healthcare? Are we educating your kids well and are we protecting the environment?" asked Jolly. "It feels like a bygone era to suggest that we should just focus on the responsible administration of government. Gwen brings that legacy with her into this race."

Florida political shifts

Dig deeper:

They're positioning themselves as moderate, bridge-building options a decade after Republicans solidified their hold on state government.

Only one Democrat has won statewide office since 2012, and Republicans now hold a voter registration advantage of 1.5 million voters.

"I think there's going to be a collective feeling of relief across the state of Florida to end the vitriol and negativity that's been coming from the governor's office for the last eight years," Graham said.

Graham represented the Florida Panhandle in Congress, an area where Democrats have hemorrhaged votes to President Trump and Gov. DeSantis.

Reversing losses there could be key.

Jolly says his selection of Graham centered on her ability to also lead Florida if need be, and not on her geographic roots.

"We had a slogan," Graham said of her time in Congress. "It was called ‘the North Florida way.’ And that really meant, and it meant bringing people together, finding ways to put aside your differences to reach decisions and outcomes that are positive."

2018 governor’s race and political "what-ifs"

The backstory:

Graham is one of the biggest "what-ifs" in Florida history.

Had Graham been the Democratic nominee in 2018, instead of Andrew Gillum, who lost by less than half a percentage point to Ron DeSantis, would she have won?

"I believe that I would have," Graham said.

In a year where Democrats seem to be winning special elections all over, including Florida, they suspect negative feelings about the economy, and a judgement of President Trump, could carry the day, and the Democrats, into office.

"Voters are willing to give us right now a very fragile currency to hold the public trust, to try to provide solutions with housing, healthcare and education," Jolly said.

Republican opposition response

The other side:

The frontrunning Republican nominee, the Trump-endorsed U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds, says, "This might have been an interesting ticket 10 years ago, but it represents the same old failed liberal agenda."

TampaPolitics