Florida governor race: David Jolly picks Gwen Graham as running mate as Democrats push for panhandle
David Jolly picks running mate
Florida’s race for governor got a jolt on Wednesday as the likely Democratic nominee picked Gwen Graham as his running mate. FOX 13’s Evan Axelbank reports.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - The Florida governor's race shifted dramatically on Wednesday as leading Democratic candidate David Jolly named former lawmaker Gwen Graham as his choice for lieutenant governor.
The announcement positions two former congressional colleagues on a moderate ticket aiming to reverse years of Democratic losses across the state.
Florida governor race
What we know:
Graham, the daughter of late Florida Governor and Senator Bob Graham, previously represented the panhandle in Congress and ran for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination in 2018.
Jolly is counting on her moderate reputation and strong name recognition to win back voters in northern Florida, an area heavily dominated by Republicans in recent years.
Jolly currently secures a clear path to the nomination after Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings withdrew from the race due to a cancer diagnosis.
On the other side, Republican frontrunner Byron Donalds is leading a primary field that includes the current lieutenant governor and the former state house speaker.
Florida Democrats face an uphill battle statewide, given that Republicans now hold a 1.5 million voter registration advantage.
The primary election is scheduled for Aug. 18.
Campaign team strategy
What we don't know:
Officials have not yet confirmed how this newly formed moderate ticket will impact polling numbers against Donalds, who remains the Republican frontrunner.
Additionally, campaign analysts have not determined how Demings' supporters will redistribute their votes ahead of the Aug. 18 primary.
Moderates build team
What they're saying:
"One of my responsibilities as a gubernatorial candidate is to build a team capable of leading on day one," Jolly said. "This isn't politics as usual. This is a generational crisis in the state. And if we don't fix it, if we don't it, the state's gonna slip away from us. And so yes, we are beginning now, doing something differently that other campaigns haven't done. We're building a team."
Graham highlighted their shared legislative history in her statement.
"Whether it was fighting to stop oil drilling off our coasts, working to give veterans the dignity they earned and deserve, or working on common sense gun reform following the horrific post-nightclub shooting, we stood shoulder-to-shoulder, time and time again," Graham said.
The Donalds campaign dismissed the announcement, calling it a return to past politics.
"This might have been an interesting ticket 10 years ago — same old failed politicians, same old failed liberal agenda, same losing result in November," the Donalds campaign said in a statement. "Byron’s momentum is surging, and he will continue covering every corner of the state to defend the Florida dream."
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from the political campaigns of David Jolly and Byron Donalds, who released official statements regarding the ticket selection, as well as Florida election schedule data.